<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Total Eclispe: A Dianetti Novel by Dianetti_Doomer</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511690">Total Eclispe: A Dianetti Novel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dianetti_Doomer/pseuds/Dianetti_Doomer'>Dianetti_Doomer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dianetti Eclipseverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Rosa Diaz/Gina Linetti, Drugs, Drunken Kissing, Drunkenness, F/F, Lesbian Sex, Police, Romance, Sexual Content</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:48:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>54,824</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dianetti_Doomer/pseuds/Dianetti_Doomer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake Peralta has gone undercover, and Gina Linetti and Charles Boyle are getting drunk at the bar, so Rosa Diaz and Terry Jeffords step in to get them home. When Gina drunkenly kisses her, Rosa is sent spiraling into a land of confusion, and a months-long search for self-understanding ensues. Starring the Squad of Brooklyn's 99th Precinct and a cast of beloved side characters, this novel delves into the topics of love, sexuality, and religion, while telling the story of two fated lovers with great detail and emotion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rosa Diaz/Gina Linetti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dianetti Eclipseverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2232510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Princess Charming To The Rescue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jake has just been "fired" so that he can investigate the Eunuchi crime family on the behalf of the FBI. Noticing just how many drinks Gina and Charles have had, Rosa takes matters into her own hands and recruits Terry to help her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>--Shaw's Bar, hours after the firing of Jake Peralta--</p><p>Raising an egg in the air, Charles Boyle spoke. “Alright, everyone. I’m going to make a toast. To you guys; you’ll never be Jake or Vivian, but at least you’re here.”</p><p>Gina groaned. “I’m gonna go over to the bar where I can hear you worse.” She stood up and did just that, disappearing into the crowd.</p><p>“Oh, I get it. I’d abandon me, too.” Charles went to bite into the white of the egg, but Sergeant Jeffords swiftly snatched it from him.</p><p>“That’s it, Boyle. No more eggs,” Rosa commanded. “You’re drinking your troubles away.”</p><p>The Sarge placed a beer firmly in front of the petite man. “Start with this. I’m going to get some bottles from the bar.” He stood and began sloshing through the thick sea of patrons. “Make way. Large man helping his little friend. Comin’ through.” To Rosa, it was like watching Moses part the Red Sea.</p><p>Charles examined the glass in front of him, seeming to consider the more mature alternative to a bag of eggs. “You’re so lucky, you’ve never been through a painful breakup.”</p><p>Rosa looked down at the tabletop. “The only reason they were never painful is because all the guys were losers. I’ve never dated anyone good.”</p><p>“Hm.”</p><p>“Like you.”</p><p>The two detectives looked at each other, polar opposites by nature and comrades by choice. They clinked their glasses and took big gulps of the amber liquid, which poured down their throats to cure them of their many worries and woes.</p><p>It had been a strange couple of days. To start it all off, Charles had been dumped by his fiance, Vivian, and was very distraught because of his emotional vulnerability. He’d come into work the day after in a getup reminiscent of, and even exactly identical to, the one worn by Neo in The Matrix. The poor man had even been too wrecked to care about food, his greatest passion, and had been snacking only on eggs ever since. Barely a month had passed since Charles and Vivian met at Holt’s party, as Charles had gone Full Boyle and proposed on their 25-day anniversary; to the surprise of all, Vivian had accepted. Things had turned sour when Vivian took a job in Ontario and told Charles to come with her, hundreds of miles away from his family and friends. It had taken a whack to the knee from Jake to get Charles to confront Vivian on the matter and, while he and Vivian had stayed together after their talk, it wasn’t long before the two finally went their separate ways.</p><p>That same day, Jake Peralta had met with Commissioner Pidalski over his investigation of Lucas Wint, a neighborhood “hero” who Jake suspected of being linked with an extensive drug ring. Despite the orders of Pidalski and Captain Holt to stay away from Wint, he had continued to pursue the case with the help of Amy Santiago. After being busted, Jake had been faced with a six-month suspension and was to be put on trial by the commissioner himself. Once they had provided Holt with a dealer who had often been told to leave drug money at the Wint Community Center, Jake and Amy were allowed to continue their covert investigation, but Holt first had to charm a judge with his suave and soothing voice. Jake, Amy, and Holt infiltrated an amatuer ballroom dancing competition at the community center, clad in clothes from a thrift store, and had  successfully found enough evidence to convict Wint. Holt received a call from the FBI that Jake’s evidence would reveal a much larger investigation and had Jake get himself fired so that he could go undercover with the Eunuchi crime family. While they were all proud of him, Jake would be missed in his six-month absence. At least they could have still seen him if he had been suspended.</p><p>Now, Rosa sat at a table with Charles and the Sarge, drinking silently in the middle of a crowded bar. She got lost in her thoughts, reflecting on the events of the past few days. Before he had started dating Vivian, Charles had been in love with Rosa to a nearly maddening extent and not even a psychic, whose abilities were completely real in Charles’s mind, failed to discourage him. Vivian had been Rosa’s saving grace, and it seemed that Rosa was finally free from the burden that was the over-emotional Charles Boyle, even now that Vivian was gone. As for Jake, she was mixed; he was a good cop and all, but had a tendency to buckle under pressure. Most of the undercover operations he had been a part of had been merely for things like thieving cab drivers and minor chop shops, and he had never even been close to such a large investigation as the one involving Lucas Wint. Still, she had known Jake since the academy, and didn’t doubt his abilities.</p><p>Rosa was shaken from her trance by the realization that she was alone. The Sarge was talking with Holt in a corner and Charles had joined Gina at the bar. Looking at her watch, she discovered that it was almost 11:30 PM. With nothing better to do, Rosa poured herself another drink and decided to have a go at a few levels of Kwazy Cupcakes. She always played with her phone on mute so that no one would overhear the high-pitched voice say “Cupcake Match!”, and because she thought it was a bit irritating after a while. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and that likely went for alcohol, too. Eventually, Rosa reached a level she simply could not beat and, irritated, stood up to crush the phone underfoot. But, as she stood, she bumped into a passing patron.</p><p>“Watch where you’re going, moron,” she growled.</p><p>The man flung up his hand and chuckled. “Sorry about that, m’lady. Take a chill pill.” Rosa just stared. “You have very beautiful eyes.” He reached out to brush aside her hair, and Rosa made her move. In one swift motion, she grabbed the outstretched arm and slammed his head onto the table. “Oh, so you’re that kind of girl.” Rosa twisted the arm, and grinned as the man responded with a yelp of pain.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>Rosa looked over to the Sarge, who gestured for her to let the man go. She did, and her grin returned to a frown. The man stumbled away, looking back one last time to reveal the terror in his eyes. Having forgotten all about Kwazy Cupcakes, she grabbed her coat and got ready to leave. As she passed the bar, Rosa noticed just how many drinks Gina and Charles had consumed. She stopped to count, but lost track at seven. In that moment, she remembered what Gina had said early that day, something about ‘meaningless sex to forget your ex’. That rhyme really did work well. Rosa turned around, heading straight for Terry and Holt.</p><p>“Sarge, I need you to do something for me.”</p><p>Terry, standing tall above her like a giant, looked down. “What might that be, m’lady?” he said, mocking the pseudo-manners of the patron she had just scared off.</p><p>Rosa rolled her eyes. “I think Gina and Charles have had more than enough drinks tonight. I’m going to get Gina back to her place, and I was wondering if you could take Charles.”</p><p>“Come on, Rosa. They’re both two responsible adults, and I trust them to make the right decisions.” The sound of smashing glass came from the bar, and they looked over to find Charles crying and holding a broken beer bottle. “On second thought, your idea sounds better. I should probably get going anyway.”</p><p>Holt chimed in. “Yes, I suppose we do have a lot of work to do tomorrow, seeing that Peralta has been fired and we are thus one detective short.” He placed his glass on the table and gestured towards the door. “Shall we?” The three of them made their way over to the bar. Rosa and Terry pulled out their wallets, but Holt stopped them. “Please. The 99 drinks on me tonight.”</p><p>Terry, too nice to accept a gracious favor, protested. “It’s alright, captain. We can pay for our own drinks.”</p><p>“Are you refusing my gesture of goodwill, Sergeant Jeffords?” The gentle giant was quiet as a crypt. “I insist.”</p><p>Rosa shrugged and sheathed her wallet. Making her way over to Gina, the smell of alcohol hit her like a hurricane. “Oh my god, Gina. How much did you drink?”</p><p>Gina flashed her signature grin. “Only a little, I promise.”</p><p>“How many fingers am I holding up?” She raised a balled fist.</p><p>“Three.”</p><p>Sighing, Rosa grasped Gina by the shoulder. “Come on, I’m getting you home.”</p><p>“Wait, wait. Just listen to me.” Rosa loosened her grip and Gina continued. “It’s like I’ve been saying all day: ‘meaningless sex-’”</p><p>“‘To forget you ex,’ I know.”</p><p>“And I believe that I have continuously incinerated-”</p><p>“Insinuated.”</p><p>“-Insinuated that you, ya know, take one for the team. I now see that you were the incorrect choice for such an operation, and I am willing to sacrifice my beautiful self.”</p><p>Rosa gripped Gina’s shoulder once again and pulled her off the stool, slinging the arm over her shoulders. “I don’t have time for this. Come on.” Gina groaned, but still stumbled alongside. They were passed by Terry, carrying Charles over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes, and exchanged salutations with him. Once the door closed behind them, it was clear that there was no turning back. Rosa was stuck with a drunken Gina.</p><p>While Terry could easily drive Charles home in his minivan, Rosa didn’t trust Gina to hold on well enough for a motorcycle ride, which meant that they would have to walk the distance to Gina’s apartment; the place had actually been Jake’s a short time before, but he and Gina had swapped apartments to save Jake from crippling debt. Rosa walked as fast as she could with a drunkard clinging on to her, occasionally having to drag Gina for several yards before she finally found her footing again. The journey largely saw nothing but rambling on the drunkard’s behalf, saying something about being an immortal goddess at one point before promptly vomiting on a mailbox. Rosa had seen worse, and at least Gina was still pretty clean. Eventually, Rosa decided to listen to what she was actually saying, and instantly regretted it.</p><p>“I mean, personally, I’m probably Smirking Face, because I think it says a lot about my character. Don’t you think so?”</p><p>“Are you talking about those stupid emojis again? I’ll rip your tongue out, just like I said I would.”</p><p>“‘Stupid?’ I’ll have you know that makes me feel very Crying Face.”</p><p>“Well, that’s too bad. I think they’re stupid. Just say what you mean.”</p><p>Gina studied the face of her cold-hearted companion. “You’re a real Angry Face With Horns, you know that?”</p><p>“I like the knife more.”</p><p>“Of course you do.”</p><p>After what must have been almost a half-hour, the two finally reached the steps to the apartment building. Gina fumbled with her keys and dropped them, retrieving them from the ground and popping back up in a flash, only to start falling backward from a sudden case of vertigo. Rosa caught her and, taking the keys from Gina, unlocked the door. As if the walk from Shaw’s hadn’t been difficult enough, their trek up the stairs was an odyssey itself, being unlucky enough to find the elevator out of service. Rosa practically had to drag Gina up every flight, her limp feet bumping on the steps. Luckily, the apartment was only a few floors up, and they were soon standing at the wooden door with the key in the lock. There was a click and the door creaked open to reveal a cozy apartment, well-kept and nicely decorated. Rosa placed the keys on a table and helped Gina remove her shoes, then carried her to the bedroom. Placing her on the mattress, Rosa pulled the soft linens over her.</p><p>“Thank you for your service, Princess Charming.” Gina spoke through gritted teeth, her eternal grin still intact.</p><p>Rosa smiled slightly. “Anything for a friend. Besides, you would have ended up with Charles if I hadn’t done anything.”</p><p>“Tru dat.”</p><p>Adjusting the covers, Rosa brushed stray hairs away from Gina’s face. She went to stand, but fists grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her downward. The next thing she knew, her lips were locked with Gina’s, and she closed her eyes as she began to lean into the kiss. After what felt like a minute, but was probably ten seconds, she pulled back. “Goodnight, Gina.” She stood and walked to the doorway, flicking off the light. As she turned to close the door, she could see Gina watching her from the bed, the devilish grin replaced with a cartoonish pout.</p><p>Rosa walked down the hallway, descended the stairs, and made her way back onto the street. Her boots clicked as she paced quickly down the sidewalk, her mind racing as she tried to comprehend the matter at hand. ‘What was that? Why did she kiss me? Did drunk Gina kiss me, or did sober Gina somehow break through? What about the frown?’ Drunk Gina was often hard to tell apart from sober Gina, and this did not help. For all Rosa knew, it had been Charles who had drank all those beers, or at least most of them, but that was pretty unlikely. Maybe it was a prank or something; Gina was an avid jokester, and a random kiss didn’t seem out of the question. But Gina probably would have laughed if it had been a joke, and a frown signaled that she was disappointed by Rosa’s retreat. Besides, how was a random kiss an effective prank? Then, she had one big realization: ‘Why did I kiss her back?’ She couldn’t find any kind of explanation for that one.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa was so deep in thought, she almost walked right past Shaw’s. Looking up at the darkened canopy, she realized that she had left her helmet inside. She walked up the stone steps and opened the door, finding no one but a few lonely stragglers. She met the bartender at the end of the counter.</p><p>“Back for your helmet?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>He pulled the black plastic shell out from some hidden location, likely the lost-and-found, and placed it on the counter. “It’s all yours.”</p><p>Rosa nodded respectfully and returned to the street. A quick check of the time revealed that it was almost 12:45 AM. She walked back to the precinct and started up her bike, slipping her head into the foam-lined pocket. Looking back up at the darkened building, she revved the engine and sped off into the night without looking back. Rosa had a lot to think about.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The World Keeps On Spinning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jake is back, and it's been six months since Rosa and Gina kissed, but the latter doesn't seem to remember it. Even after all that time, Rosa is still questioning the event, and realizes that she has been lashing out the Squad because of the stress.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brick by brick, the tower grew, a pristine example of the architectural capabilities of Man. Or maybe just of the Lego-building capabilities of Amy Santiago.</p><p>There was no doubt that Amy was proud of her creation. Competitive by nature, the Cuban-American detective took any chance she got to show off her varied set of skills, be it in the realm of astrophysics or Legos. She had clearly put far more effort into it than “Timmy The 7 Year Old Boy” had, the 6’2” child placing bricks only occasionally. Finally, he had enough.</p><p>“This is boring. I want to build a spaceship!” Sergeant Jeffords lifted the tower with ease, bringing it down hard onto the tabletop and causing it to shatter into a thousand small bits.</p><p>Amy stared in shock. “I worked so hard on that.”</p><p>Rosa intervened. “The captain’s not here, Sarge. You can drop the act.”</p><p>“You can drop your butt!”</p><p>“You can drop the fucking attitude, you little shit.” The Sergeant froze, his jaw hanging in horror. Amy, as if she was unsure of what she had just heard, slowly turned her head. Rosa sank back into the couch, shameful of her actions. “I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t know what that was.”</p><p>Terry reanimated. “Is everything okay, Rosa?”</p><p>“I’m fine. I’ve just been a bit stressed since Jake went undercover.”</p><p>Amy piped up. “But Jake’s back now. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”</p><p>“I know. It’s probably just a bit of leftover tension. Sorry, Sarge.”</p><p>“It’s alright, Rosa. I think we can all understand.” He looked down at the whiteboard hanging from his neck. “These constant drills seem to be stressing everyone out, too.”</p><p>“Yeah, they have.” Rosa and Terry looked at Amy, surprised that she would speak out against one of Captain Holt’s personal orders. “I mean, that’s what seems to be the case with a lot of the other officers. I’m fine with it. If the Captain thinks it’s important, then so do I.”</p><p>“Come on, Santiago. It’s okay to disagree with your superior officers sometimes. It allows you to become a more independent person.” Terry removed the whiteboard. “I’ll go make sure the Squad’s complaints are heard.” He stood and walked to the door. “Sorry about the tower, Amy.” He exited the room, closing the door and leaving the two women alone.</p><p>Rosa looked at her boots, arms crossed, while Amy returned her gaze to the scattered Lego bricks that littered the table; she was Princess Leia, observing the remnants of Alderaan after its destruction at the hands of the Death Star, and the anguish was visible in her eyes. Rosa broke the silence.</p><p>“You were really invested in that Lego tower, huh?”</p><p>Amy picked up a red 2x2 brick and sighed. “It was a masterpiece of minimalism. One of my best works.” Rosa raised an eyebrow; she knew Amy was a competitive try-hard, but this seemed like a bit much. Dropping the brick, Amy turned to look at her comrade. “Are you sure you’re alright? Jake’s absence had us all on edge, but I’ve never seen you lash out like that.”</p><p>“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>“Alright, if you say so.”</p><p>“I do say so.”</p><p>---</p><p>It had been six months since Jake went undercover. Little of note had happened, aside from Terry’s temporary lisp and the “Gina Incident”, and that Jake had been undercover with the Eunuchi crime family the whole time. Knowing that the mob took business very seriously, everyone had been worried for Jake, but could rest at ease now that he was back; granted, one mobster had escaped, but he was just one man. Jake had only returned that morning, and his jovial energy was readily welcomed back into the precinct. Charles had wanted the rest of the Squad to pretend that they didn’t notice Jake, but, being Charles, had instantaneously ruined the prank. At least things were back to normal.</p><p>It had also been six months since Gina had kissed Rosa. Gina either didn’t remember it or simply never brought it up, but it had left a mark on Rosa’s psyche. It wasn’t necessarily the kiss itself that had made the impression, but rather that Rosa had kissed Gina back, and Rosa was still unsure of why exactly she had done so. She had known she liked women since the early ‘90s, but Gina of all people? In the forty-eight hours that preceded the kiss, she had twice threatened to rip Gina’s tongue out, and often found her to be something of an annoyance. They had both known Jake longer than anyone else at the 99, and maybe it had just been a way to rid themselves of their concerns. Or maybe it was just a drunken act on Gina’s behalf. Even after months of mental debate with herself, Rosa had failed to come to a single convincing conclusion.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa sat at the table, alone once again. She spent most of her time alone, and that was how she preferred it. She was trying to savor her drink, as Holt had placed everyone on a two-drink maximum, but there were only a few sips left.</p><p>The Squad had assembled at Shaw’s to celebrate Jake’s triumphant return, and the tension seemed to melt from the air, replaced by the fragrances of relaxation and alcohol. This, along with the dimness of the bar lights, made Shaw’s the perfect place to sink deep into one’s own mind.</p><p>Holt came strolling over at some point, sitting down across the table from Rosa. He had broken out a black-and-white tuxedo for the celebration, and wore it quite well. “Good evening, detective.”</p><p>“Hey, captain.”</p><p>“I just wanted to apologize for putting you through all those rigorous drills. There is to be a new commissioner, and I wanted to prove that we were still of use in the borough.”</p><p>“Gotta do what you gotta do.” Rosa gulped down the rest of her drink.</p><p>Holt seemed to consider his words before he spoke again. “Sergeant Jeffords told me about your outburst earlier today. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t push you too far with the drills.”</p><p>“That’s just how I am. Secret and scary. Hahaha.” She stared blankly.</p><p>“If there’s anything wrong, you can always talk to me. Or I can get you an appointment with a psychiatric evaluator.”</p><p>Rosa shook her head. “It’s not work-related. It’s personal.”</p><p>‘But is it?’ she thought to herself.</p><p>“I see.” He sipped his drink. “It’s just that, in the year I’ve known you, I’ve never known you to use such harsh language, and you’ve been much more reserved-”</p><p>“It’s. Personal.” Rosa was stern this time, clenching her teeth.</p><p>Holt hesitated. “I have crossed a line. I apologize.” He got up and went to speak with Jake.</p><p>Rosa looked down at the table, regretting her actions yet again. She looked at the unopened bottle in front of her. Grabbing it and her helmet, she stood and made her way to the door. There were rushed footsteps behind her, and she found Jake jogging up to her.</p><p>“Leaving already? We just started partying!” His grin was wide. Rosa had missed it.</p><p>“I think I’m gonna turn in early tonight. I really haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately.”</p><p>“Aw, were you worried about me?” He tilted his head.</p><p>The corners of Rosa’s lips rose a bit. “We all were, Jake. I’m glad you’re back in one piece.” Looking over his shoulder, she saw Gina sulking alone in a booth. She looked back at Jake and nodded, turning and walking out the door. She felt bad, but she needed to be isolated, not just alone.</p><p>Making her way back to the precinct, Rosa thought about the things she had done that day. She had been worse to Terry and Holt than she ever had been to them before, and it made her feel guilty; they hadn’t done anything to deserve what they got, and she didn’t have a reason to take her stress out on them. They were just trying to help. But Holt’s questions did make her wonder whether her own Gina incident was a work matter or a personal matter. They were both employees of the 99th Precinct, but they had both been off-duty when it had happened. But they were both employees. But they had been off duty. She went back and forth like this for ages.</p><p>Before long, Rosa was cruising down the street. Destination: Manhattan Beach Park. She’d put the beer in her bag, and wanted to enjoy it in peace. The wind caught in her jacket, chilling her torso as the motorcycle carried her off to distant lands. It was good to get away from everyone, to be able to think without the ambience of the bustling bar or the constant chatter of Charles Boyle. She’d been going to the beach a lot over the past six months for just that reason.</p><p>Rosa studied the Hebrew script as she rode through the quiet streets, just as alien to her as Egyptian hieroglyphics; the neighborhood was a hotspot for Italians and Ashkenazi Jews, a single stroke in the colorful portrait of New York City. She slowed as the ocean came into view, stopping on the street behind the beach. She locked her bike and removed her helmet, feeling the wind run through her hair like a lover’s fingers. Taking in the fresh coastal air, Rosa sat herself near the water with her bag at her side. She pulled out the beer and cracked it open, taking a sip as she looked out at the darkness. Coney Island was only two miles to the west, but the only sounds were the crashing of the waves and the squawking of the gulls.</p><p>‘This is the life,’ Rosa thought to herself. If only she had someone to share it with. Taking another sip of the icy beverage, she thought about why she had kissed Gina back.</p><p>Was she really that desperate for romance? Rosa scared off everyone she liked and hadn’t been with anyone for some time, only telling Charles that she had a boyfriend as an attempt to get him to turn his focus away from her.</p><p>What if she had subconscious feelings for Gina? Rosa was a closeted sapphic, and maybe she had kissed her back to release some of the tension she had built up over the years. But why Gina, of all women? Because she had made the first move? Rosa had to admit that there was something about Gina’s nasally voice, always spoken through gritted teeth, which gave her a sensual air. Maybe she had just subconsciously wanted to replace her ill-will towards Gina (i.e. wanting to rip out her tongue) with something more pleasant, but that seemed unlikely.</p><p>But why had Gina kissed her in the first place? Maybe it was a drunken joke, a drunken instinct, or a drunken decision. Rosa still didn’t know. Every reasonable answer she could come up with relied on the fact that Gina had been drunk at the time, but she just couldn’t come to a single conclusion.</p><p>Rosa leaned back, laying her head on the backpack. She gazed up at the stars, counting all the constellations she could find until the white noise of the empty beach lulled her into a deep sleep.</p><p>---</p><p>By the time Rosa woke up, the Sun was beginning to rise, its glow reflecting off the ocean. Looking at her phone, she found that it was about 6:30 AM. After brushing the sand off her jacket and finishing the rest of the beer, Rosa hopped on her motorcycle and took off for the Flatbush Diner, where she hoped to find a substitute for both last night’s dinner and that morning’s breakfast. After a half-hour ride, she was finally able to enjoy a whole blueberry pie, with coffee on the side; Rosa preferred herbal tea, but found that caffeine was usually a better pick-me-up. Once her hunger was satisfied, she carried on to the precinct. She still had an hour or so to kill, and decided that a shower was the best way to rid herself of any remaining sand. Figuring that she might also be able to get some work done early, Rosa decided to shower at the precinct and carried on.</p><p>While Rosa was in the shower, time seemed to pass like a speeding car. Maybe it was the soothing blanket of steam that had enveloped her, but the night crew had already left when she emerged from the locker room. She sat down at her desk and activated the old computer which sat upon it. Jake was the first to notice her.</p><p>“Good morning, sleepyhead. Did you get a good amount of rest last night?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>Jake, aware that there was no way to continue the conversation, turned awkwardly back to his computer.</p><p>After working for a good while, Rosa finally decided to talk with Captain Holt. She walked over to the office door and knocked.</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>Rosa turned the knob and walked in, closing the door and shutting the blinds; Amy could read lips well enough, and was known to use this ability to “eavesdrop” on the captain’s conversations. “Hey, captain.”</p><p>“What can I do for you, Detective?”</p><p>Rosa sat at the chair across the desk from Holt. “I wanted to apologize for last night. You just wanted to make sure I was okay, and I responded angrily. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“I should be the one apologizing. I pressed you when you made it clear that you wished to keep your personal life secret from me, and I should have respected that.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay. I guess I shouldn’t try to repress all my problems.” Rosa took a deep breath. “Speaking of which, I was hoping that you might be able to help me.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“I’m not sure whether this qualifies as a workplace issue or a personal issue, but something happened with Gina six months ago.”</p><p>“Something which caused you to discover your romantic feelings for her?”</p><p>Rosa was taken aback. “What?”</p><p>Holt leaned forward in his chair. “I did not catch criminals like the Disco Strangler and the Freestyle Killer through sheer luck, Rosa. You brought Gina home the same night that Peralta began his undercover operation with the FBI, and you have been acting differently ever since that night, even if only subtly. You have been tapping your feet, getting up constantly, losing sleep. You have also been lashing out towards your colleagues, mainly Hitchcock and Scully, which is understandable, but you have also been lashing out regularly towards Boyle, Santiago, and Sergeant Jeffords. Like when Boyle began to ‘fall back in love’ with you, for instance.”</p><p>***</p><p>Rosa blew on her tea and was about to take a small sip, when Boyle marched in, holding his hands behind his back. Rosa looked up from her steaming mug.</p><p>“As you know, Vivian and I split up a few weeks ago and, while I was devastated, I now realize that she was not the one for me. I don’t need someone who is exactly like me; I need someone who is my polar opposite, someone I can teach to love, and who can teach me to love.” He revealed a flower. “A rose for-”</p><p>Rosa promptly flung the tea on Boyle and stormed out in annoyance.</p><p>Boyle gasped in pain for a few seconds before smelling his soaking shirt. “Oh, chamomile. Nice choice.”</p><p>***</p><p>“I had to be direct. He would have kept trying to ask me out if I didn’t.”</p><p>Holt held up a finger. “Similar scenarios occurred a multitude of times before Boyle met Vivian, and you did not use violence then, because you knew it would hurt him and so you tried to be gentle. But, after the night Peralta left, you did start to use violence.”</p><p>***</p><p>Rosa slapped a tuxedo-clad Boyle as hard as she possibly could.</p><p>***</p><p>Rosa kicked a leather-clad Boyle directly in the crotch.</p><p>***</p><p>An acapella group set the tune, and Boyle began to sing. “Rosa. Oh, Rosa.” Rosa punched him bluntly in the nose.</p><p>***</p><p>“The man had to wear a cast for almost a month.”</p><p>Rosa looked down at her boots, overcome with guilt yet again.</p><p>“I didn’t know what to make of it until I realized something one day. The only person you weren’t lashing out at was Gina, whose tongue you had threatened to rip out mere days beforehand. My suspicions were confirmed when I witnessed a strange and uncharacteristic event.</p><p>***</p><p>Rosa tried to close out the window she had been using, but nothing happened. She clicked the [x] repeatedly. Nothing. “Come on, you piece of crap!” She hit the side of the monitor. Nothing. She gripped the monitor and was on the cusp of smashing it to bits.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa?”</p><p>Rosa looked up. Gina was on the other side of the desk, looking over a set of papers.</p><p>“These forms are for you.” Gina extended the clipboard, and Rosa took it.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Gina grinned and walked back to her own desk.</p><p>***</p><p>“I found it strange that you did not brutalize the computer further in favor of filling out paperwork, a menial task which you clearly despise. But, as Gina walked back to her desk, you watched her for a moment, and, in that moment, you changed. While you are typically more malicious in your facial expressions, you seemed to soften up; your mouth was less of a frown and more of a slumped line, your eyebrows raised to indicate your interest in her, and your pupils dilated. Not to mention that your voice increased slightly in pitch when you thanked her. It was as if I were looking at a completely different person.”</p><p>Rosa raised an eyebrow. “Where were you in all of this?”</p><p>“I watched the situation play out from the doorway. It couldn’t have lasted more than twenty seconds, but it was enough for me to make my conclusion.”</p><p>There was a pause before Rosa spoke. “I had gotten her back to her apartment and I had tucked her into bed. I was about to get up to leave, when...” Rosa took a deep breath. “She kissed me. And I think I kissed her back. All summer, I’ve been trying to make sense of it, but I still don’t know why either of us did it.”</p><p>Holt thought for a moment. “I am reminded of a quote from Charlie Chaplin, the great vaudeville performer: ‘A man’s true character comes out when he’s drunk.’ In this case, Gina could be that man.”</p><p>“So, you think she likes me?”</p><p>“That may be the case.”</p><p>There was a pause as Rosa took the situation in. “Thank you, captain. I really needed to talk to someone about this.” She got up and walked to the door, but turned back before she could open it. “I guess that makes you the first person I’ve come out to.”</p><p>Holt smiled slightly and nodded. “I suppose it does.”</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa went about her day as normal after meeting with Holt, largely just doing standard desk work. She didn’t have any big cases to deal with, just things like average corner store robberies and carjackings. Keyboards clicked and phones rangs like they did on any other day, and the buzzing of the mercury lights was drowned in the casual commotion. People walked to and fro, perps moped in the cell, and Gina stared endlessly at her phone. From time to time, Rosa would turn her gaze from her work, observing Gina for a few moments before returning her attention to the computer; she often felt like Jim Halpert in this way. She had to keep these moments brief so that no one would see her constantly looking at Gina, as these actions had the potential to betray her.</p><p>Sometime around 2:45 PM, Rosa had a yearning for a snack and traversed the bullpen to the breakroom. After studying the vending machine for a minute, she decided to have some Goldfish and a Coke, inserting the necessary number of quarters and retrieving the workplace delicacies. She sat down at the table and began munching on a few of the small piscine crackers. She had just cracked open the soda and was taking a sip when Gina walked in. The Italian-American placed her lunch on the table and took a seat across from Rosa.</p><p>“Hey, girl.”</p><p>Rosa gulped down the cola. “Hey.”</p><p>Gina surveyed the meal across from her own. “Oh, did your mommy pack you some crackers and pop for lunch today, kiddo?”</p><p>Rosa smirked. She gestured to the slice of pie that Gina had just sunk her fork into. “Apple pie from Crust?”</p><p>“Sure is.” Gina took her first bite and moaned in satisfaction.</p><p>“I still think Flatbush is better.”</p><p>“That’s cuz you never like to admit when you’re wrong.”</p><p>‘Too right,’ Rosa thought to herself.</p><p>“But me? I’m never wrong. Even if I say something that isn’t factually correct, I am still correct from a certain point of view, because God, our heavenly mother, put me on this Earth to spread knowledge.” Gina droned on like this for a few minutes before Rosa finally interjected.</p><p>“Do you ever stop talking?”</p><p>“Nope.” Gina giggled and Rosa’s heart skipped a beat. The droning continued.</p><p>For what felt like hours, Rosa sat and listened to Gina talk. She wasn’t necessarily paying attention to the words, but it was just nice to hear her voice. Rosa wasn’t a very verbal person, and Gina could easily fill the silence; Gina was a very verbal person, and Rosa could provide her with an audience.</p><p>It was then that Rosa realized something: she had been unconsciously avoiding Gina as much as she could all summer. She couldn’t make that mistake again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Landlords Galore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taking pity on Charles, Rosa agrees to accompany him to his ex-wife's engagement party and to help him find an apartment. Unfortunately, Charles's natural stubbornness causes her a great deal of frustration, and the experience is anything but pleasant.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of steel drums and wire strings pulsated as the colorful crowd mingled, Jamaican flags on every suit and skirt. Weirdly enough, the reggae musicians were probably the only non-white people in the entire room aside from Rosa. She was at the engagement party of Charles’s ex-wife and her fiance, Eleanor and Hercules, and had gone with Charles as a friend after his own sister had to cancel on him; for some reason, Charles was still living in their basement, thus making them his landlords. Rosa often pitied that poor little man, and had only decided to go with him because she felt bad. The reason for all the Jamaican stuff was that Eleanor and Hercules went to the island every year, and apparently thought that they would seem enlightened if they embraced its culture. All they were missing was weed-smoking teenagers, and Rosa was pretty sure she could find some of those in the bathroom anyway. The band was playing a reggae rendition of “Dead Man’s Party”, and Rosa couldn’t help but sway to the tune. She had tried to avoid as much human contact as she could, sipping a drink to keep herself incapable of talking at length, but had seen quite a few guys eyeing her from across the room, some of them sporting wedding rings, and was anticipating an unwelcome conversation at any moment.</p><p>It was as she was refilling her drink that one such guy approached her. This guy made himself known as Rosa turned back to the crowd from the bar. He greeted her with a simple “Hey.”</p><p>Rosa looked him up and down. His black hair was well-combed, his skin was very much tanned, and his teeth made his mouth look like a military cemetery. The top buttons of his green-red-yellow suit were undone to reveal a smooth sternum and his lips were stretched into a grin that was almost certainly painful. His eyes said, “I think I’m rich, but I’m not.” Rosa couldn’t help but notice an untanned line on his ring finger. “What do you want?”</p><p>“To buy you a drink, maybe.” He must not have noticed the full glass in Rosa’s hand, or perhaps he was just plain stupid. His hand whipped up suddenly from his pocket, a business card clamped between his pointer and middle fingers. “The name’s Hatch. Butch Hatch.”</p><p>Rosa took the business card, a phone number printed in jet black ink. It looked like Butch worked for a window curtain company. Very impressive. Rosa looked up at Butch and let the card flutter to the ground. His grin failed to wane, but disdain flashed in his eyes as the card fell, and this pleased her. She decided to have a little fun with Butch. “Tolls. Jenna Tolls.”</p><p>“Well, hello, Jenna.” Hook, line, and sinker. “As you can see, I’m in the fabrics industry. Where does a girl such as yourself find employment?”</p><p>“I’m in gardening.”</p><p>“I knew I was getting an earthy feeling about you. You’ve got that exotic look. Mexican?”</p><p>“Yup.” Argentinian, actually. But Mexico and Argentina were basically the same thing anyway, right?</p><p>Butch nodded. “I can just read people like that, you know? People are an important part of both running a business and having a life. I can tell that you’re just a lonely girl in a big city, looking for love like life is one big rom-com.”</p><p>“It’s like you can read my mind.”</p><p>“But life isn’t that simple, Jenna. When it gives you lemons, you gotta make lemonade.” Rosa was amazed; Butch could very well be the next Plato. “So, let me buy you a drink. Let’s see where the night takes us in this crazy world.”</p><p>The monologue was interrupted by a small blonde woman with a tan possibly a shade or two darker than that of Butch. Her voice, high-pitched and sharp as nails, caught them both off guard. “Oh, leave her alone, you!” She swatted the back of Butch’s hand and the grin took on a pained look. He shuffled away, maintaining eye contact with Rosa for the duration of his retreat. The woman, having taken his place at the bar, pointed at Butch with her thumb. “My husband. He’s so silly like that.” Rosa was unsettled now. The woman stuck out her hand, crowned by hot pink talons, and Rosa shook it. “I’m Shelly, Eleanor’s cousin. Who might you be?”</p><p>“I’m Rosa. I work with her ex-husband, Charles.”</p><p>“Oh, so you’re a police officer?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Shelly sipped her drink. “Mm. What’s the grossest mystery you’ve ever solved? I’m sorry, I had to ask.”</p><p>“No, it’s alright. We get that kind of question a lot.” Rosa grinned. She then went on to describe the most gruesome case she had ever worked, going so far as to include the fecal matter they found in the vents. By the end, Shelly’s tan had been replaced with a pale sheet. The woman stumbled away, likely scarred for the rest of her days, and it was now Charles’s turn to occupy the seat next to Rosa. He looked over his shoulder at the traumatized lady.</p><p>“What did you do to Shelly? She’s as white as the inside of a coconut.”</p><p>“I told her a work story, just like she asked me to.” They sat in silence for a moment. Rosa looked over at Charles, his cornrows-covered head drooping. She got up and put her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s bounce.”</p><p>“But-” A stare, boring deep into his soul, was able to change his mind. “Okay.” They made their way through the crowd and out the door, heading to Charles’s car. As they walked down the street, he tried to place his blazer over her shoulders.</p><p>“It’s seventy-five degrees, Charles.”</p><p>“Right.” He withdrew the blazer and hung it over his own shoulder. ‘Damn summer weather,’ he must have thought to himself.</p><p>They reached the car and got in their respective seats, Rosa as the passenger and Charles as the driver. The key in the ignition and the engine revving, they turned onto the street and drove back to the precinct. They rode for a few minutes in silence, but Rosa eventually broke it.</p><p>“It’s been well over a year since you got divorced. Why have you waited so long to find your own apartment?”</p><p>Charles sighed. “I don’t know. I guess it kind of felt like we were still married, just that we had gotten a divorce and she was engaged to another man. I’m just glad they let me stay in their basement for so long.”</p><p>“They don’t care about you, Charles.”</p><p>“Come on, Rosa. You hardly know Eleanor. She is a very kind woman.”</p><p>“Whose idea was it to get the divorce?”</p><p>“It was a mutual-” He seemed to sense the eyes on him. “Hers,” he muttered. “But Hercules was really nice about it.”</p><p>“Because he’s too nice to tell you off. If your fiance’s ex-husband was living in your basement, wouldn’t you want him out?”</p><p>“Not if he was a good guy, down on his luck and without love.”</p><p>“Oh my god.” Rolling her eyes, Rosa turned her head to stare out the window. “Did they ask you to give a toast or did you invite yourself to give one?” His silence was worth a hundred words, and told her everything she needed to know.</p><p>The car hadn’t fully stopped by the time Rosa opened the door, stepping out quickly onto the sidewalk. She bid Charles a quick good-bye and hurried to collect her things from the precinct. Detective Lohank, who occupied her desk during the night shift, was shaving over the keyboard again and she had the strong urge to slap the back of his head, but had to remind herself of his many troubles; his wife was addicted to painkillers and he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer a few months ago. Rosa changed into her typical dark attire and threw her vibrant dress in the trash, having no need for it anymore, but she thought that the flower might make a nice decoration and put it in her bag. After wishing Lohank a good night, she boarded the elevator and returned to the street.</p><p>---</p><p>The next morning, Rosa woke up bright and early for a day of house-hunting with Charles; along with going to the engagement party, she had promised to help him find his own apartment. Packing a thermos of tea and a newspaper clipping of for-sale apartments, she hopped on her motorcycle and took off. If he had been living in his ex-wife’s basement for the last year, it seemed that Charles’s bar was set pretty low, and the whole ordeal would hopefully be over in no time at all.</p><p>She walked into the precinct to find Charles enjoying the beans he had been fermenting in his desk drawer. She stood in the middle of the bullpen, and he hastily stored the jar back in his desk and collected his coat when he noticed her.</p><p>“You ready?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>Charles passed Rosa as the latter slowly turned back to the elevator.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>She turned to find Gina looking at her from the reception desk. “Yeah?”</p><p>“What happened to the dress?”</p><p>“I threw it away. Didn’t need it anymore.”</p><p>“Oh. I thought it looked cute on you. Ya didn’t look so much like a member of a biker gang.”</p><p>Rosa smiled as little as she could, but it was hard not to. “Thanks.” She turned back to the gate, but not before Holt gave her a subtle thumbs-up from the doorway of his office. She met Charles at the elevator, and they descended to the lobby together. They stood in silence for a few moments, but Charles quickly broke it.</p><p>“You seemed to take Gina’s comment pretty well.”</p><p>“It’s a good sign when Gina likes your fashion sense. Can’t say it’s something you would understand.”</p><p>“Yeah, she never seems to like my ‘drobe.”</p><p>“Your what?”</p><p>“My ‘drobe. Short for ‘wardrobe’.”</p><p>Rosa rolled her eyes. “You have got to stop using your own slang. Most of the time, no one knows what the hell you’re talking about. It goes for food, too. And no one wants to hear about all the old ladies you’ve boned.” With that, the silence returned.</p><p>Soon enough, they were buckling up the car. Rosa pulled out the clipping and read the first address. It looked like they were going to Midwood.</p><p>---</p><p>The flat was nothing more than a collection of rooms that were connected by empty doorways with rotting frames. The portly landlord, speaking with a thick Baltic accent, explained that the building had its origins with the immigrant influx of the 1980s and that it was a part of the history of Midwood.</p><p>“Is best apartment in whole building. I give you good price.”</p><p>Charles looked around and nodded. “I can see what you mean. It’s got a real charm.”</p><p>The landlord motioned for them to follow him, and he led them to one of the only doors in the apartment. “I give you master bedroom.” Opening the old door, he revealed a small room, containing little more than a metal bed frame and a tattered Soviet flag. </p><p>Rosa recoiled at the stench. “What is that?”</p><p>Charles took a whiff of the musty air. “Smells like mold, vodka, and… is that goat urine?” He seemed more curious than disgusted.</p><p>***</p><p>The second listing was a walk-up in Kensington. The building, while significantly shorter than the others around it, didn’t look too bad from the outside and seemed to hold some promise. They met the landlord, an older millennial named Mark, in the lobby. Charles eagerly approached him.</p><p>“Hi, I’m here to see someone about an apartment.”</p><p>The man smiled. “Oh, you must be Charles. I’m Mark the landlord of the building.” He looked over at Rosa, and Charles did the same.</p><p>“This is my friend, Rosa. She’s helping me with my search for an apartment.”</p><p>“Well, look no further. I’ve got just the place for you.” Mark pushed up his glasses and gestured to the stairs. “Follow me. It’s right up here.”</p><p>At least seven flights later, the trio reached the top floor. Charles’s legs gave out and he clung on to the bannister for support. Rosa pulled his arm over her shoulders, helping him to the door which Mark stood at.</p><p>Charles looked at his companions. “How are you guys not exhausted? My legs are burning.”</p><p>“I work out.”</p><p>Mark lifted his pant leg to reveal ankle weights. “I’ve been wearing these bad boys for eight years.” He led them into the apartment, which was small and cozy. “Now, I get that the walk might be a bit intense at first, but you’ll get used to it. Besides, it’s all worth it.” He walked over to a window and gripped the curtains. “From up here, you get a full view of the neighborhood.” Mark pulled back the curtains, and they were met with a stunning view of the building right next to them. It was only about a foot or two away from another window, in which sat an ugly naked guy. Mark chuckled. “Oh, that’s Tom. He’s harmless.”</p><p>Rosa and Charles looked at each other, faces contorted in revulsion.</p><p>***</p><p>The third listing was a ground-level apartment in Mapleton. From the quiet street, everything seemed to be normal. Charles had called in advance, and the woman showing the apartment was waiting on the sidewalk outside the apartment. They climbed out of the car, and she introduced herself.</p><p>“Hi, folks. I’m Gabbi, the landlord.”</p><p>“Charles Boyle.” He shook her hand. “This is my friend, Rosa.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Gabbi smiled, then gestured to the door. “Shall we?” They followed her into the apartment, given a 1970s aesthetic by its carpeted floors and wood paneling. “This here is the living room, which makes up the bulk of the residence. As you can see, it opens up into a nice little kitchen, and has doors that lead right to the bedroom and the bathroom. It’s a bit cramped, but I think that makes it kind of homey.”</p><p>Rosa looked over at a picture hanging on the far wall. She walked over to it, studying the face of the old woman in the photograph. Turning back to Gabbi, she pointed at it. “Who’s this?”</p><p>“That’s Gladys, the last resident. She passed away about a month ago, sadly.”</p><p>Charles nodded. “I thought I could sense a spirit here.” Both women turned to him.</p><p>“Are you a psychic?” Gabbi asked, placing a hand on her chest.</p><p>“My grandmother had the gift, and I believe I inherited it from her.”</p><p>“So you can sense the spirit of Gladys in this room?”</p><p>“Yes. I have made gentle love to many senior women, and I find that such spirits attach themselves to me.”</p><p>Rosa stood unmoving in the corner as Charles led Gabbi in a thirty-minute seance, supposedly communing with the spirit of Gladys. They laughed, they cried, and they prayed; the whole ordeal was maddening.</p><p>One eternity later, they were back in the car, Charles’s face still wet with tears. “I can’t live there. I need to give Gladys more time to move on, and I suggested that Gabbi take it off the market for a bit.”</p><p>Rosa groaned and banged her head repeatedly on the dashboard.</p><p>***</p><p>The fourth and final listing was an apartment in Crown Heights, moderate in size and located in a culturally rich neighborhood. Given the oddities which they had experienced over the past few hours, Rosa was not hopeful, but prayed that it was suitable enough. As they pulled up to the brownstone, Rosa mentally crossed herself and took a deep breath. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she looked up at an open pair of window curtains, which swiftly fell together once the resident behind them saw that they were being watched.</p><p>“What are you waiting for?”</p><p>Rosa looked down to the front door, where Charles stood. She ascended the stairs and entered the building behind him like a shadow, dark and silent. Taking the clipping from her pocket, she read the number off it and began walking up the stairs. The wooden boards creaked as her boots clicked on them, and light from the windows illuminated the dust particles in the air around them. She made her way down the hallway to the door number listed on the clipping and knocked. A man answered, staring at them through the crack.</p><p>Rosa held up the clipping. “Is this the apartment?”</p><p>His eyes lit up behind the glasses that frame his face. “Yes, yes. Please, come in.” His accent was from Eastern Europe, but seemed to be quite watered down. Rosa entered cautiously, but Charles strode in without hesitation.</p><p>“Hello, I’m Charles Boyle. I’m the one looking at the appointment.”</p><p>The man pointed at himself. “I am Mlepnos. And this…” He stretched out his arms, as if he were a circus ringmaster presenting himself to the audience. “Is my apartment.”</p><p>Charles nodded. “Very nice, very nice. How big is it?”</p><p>“I have four rooms: couch room, cooking room, sleeping room, and toilet room.” Mlepnos was like a ten-year-old who was showing off his comic book collection to the other kids on the school playground.</p><p>Rosa just wanted to get it over with. “How much?”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“How much for the apartment?”</p><p>Mlepnos looked confused. “You want to… buy Mlepnos apartment?”</p><p>“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”</p><p>Mlepnos thought. “I will take one hundred thousand dollars!”</p><p>Charles stuck out his hand. “We have a deal!”</p><p>“Yes, yes, we have deal! Now, Mlepnos will need new home.” He looked over to Rosa. “Maybe Mlepnos can live with pretty Mexican lady.”</p><p>“Nope.” Rosa grabbed Charles by the arm and pulled him away, slamming the door as she went. Charles protested, but was too tired after a day of continuously walking up and down stairs. Taking the keys from his coat pocket, she threw him in the passenger seat of the car and sat herself down in front of the steering wheel. Before Charles had a chance to lock his seatbelt, the car was making a u-turn in the direction of the precinct.</p><p>Charles looked back as the building vanished around a corner, then turned his gaze to Rosa. “What is with you? We made a deal on the apartment!”</p><p>Rosa’s fingernails dug into the wheel. “That is the second time, in twenty-four hours, that some motherfucker has called me a fucking Mexican.” She took a deep breath. “Besides, a hundred-thousand bucks is way too much to pay out-of-pocket.”

</p>
<p>“What makes you think he wanted the money like that?”</p><p>“The dude wasn’t looking to sell the apartment in the first place. I have no idea why he posted an ad at all. Something tells me he’s not the kind of guy who would accept gradual payment.”</p><p>Charles looked at the dashboard and, like the previous night, they rode to the precinct in silence. When they pulled up to the curb, Rosa shut off the engine and spoke.</p><p>“Look, I said I would try to help you find a new place, but I didn’t promise that I would definitely find one. I can get you an appointment with a firm, which would be a lot better than just following some paper clippings around the borough.”</p><p>“Well, thanks for help anyway. I appreciate it.” They disembarked and walked into the precinct, still having most of their shift left.</p><p>Once they reached the bullpen, they went their separate ways; Charles went to his desk and Rosa went to the breakroom. Placing her bag on the table, she retrieved her thermos and began heating water to make some more tea. She tore open a packet of chamomile and poured the water into her thermos, letting the teabag float on top of it. She screwed the lid on and began walking back to her desk, but stopped and turned to Jake.</p><p>“Hey, Jake?”</p><p>Jake spun around in his chair. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Before you and Gina swapped apartments, what real estate agency did you use?”</p><p>“Hm… I can’t say that I remember, but Gina probably does. She set up the appointment.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“No problem.”</p><p>Rosa shoved her bag under the desk and left the thermos next to her computer. She walked over to Gina, who was nodding her head to a silent rhythm. Rosa pushed back her hair and found an earbud hidden underneath it. Gina grinned.</p><p>“Hey, bestie.”</p><p>“I thought Holt said no more headphones in the office.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, I can’t go an entire day without listening to my jams. Is there something I can do for you?”</p><p>“I just wasted two hours helping Charles try to find an apartment. I was wondering if you could give me the number to the agency you used with Jake.”</p><p>“Sure thing.” Gina tore a small strip of paper off a form and wrote a number on it with a pen. “Now, you owe me.”</p><p>Rosa took the strip and examined it, smirking. “If you pull the cord through your jacket and pull your hood up, it’ll be harder for Holt to find out that you’re listening to music.”</p><p>“Oh, how rebellious. I suppose that means we’re even now.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so.”</p><p>Rosa walked back to her desk and opened up her bag. As she dropped the strip into it, she noticed the flower from the night before. She picked it up and looked it over. After a few seconds, she fixed it behind her ear and sat down, ready for a day of work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Saucy Sapphic Strikes Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tired out by the Jimmy Jab Games and a presidential motorcade, Rosa retreats to Shaw's for a few drinks, but finds herself between a rock and a hard place after sitting down with a certain colleague.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a busy day. Captain Holt and Sergeant Jeffords had been at 1 Police Plaza to discuss “Giggle Pig,” a new drug that had suddenly become popular in the area, and this had allowed the detectives to participate in Jimmy Jab VII: Circus Of Fools. The Jimmy Jab Games were an old tradition that dated back all the way to 2008, and Rosa had come in third this year; her downfall had come when she had to act as a civilian, wearing a pretty dress and a blonde wig, and she berated Hank for calling her “sweetheart”. After that, the Squad had been called to act as the motorcade for President Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia, and she’d even gotten a chance to shake his hand. To mark her service at the event, Rosa had bought a small pin of the crossed American and Serbian flags, which was now pinned to her jacket.</p><p>Rosa sat in Shaw’s once again, sipping a beer without any consideration for the world around her. She was thinking about Jake, who was still stuck on Amy. Earlier that day, Jake had asked Rosa for one of her friends’ numbers, and they agreed that they would compete for it in the Jimmy Jab Games. Jake managed to make it to the final round, but let Amy win because he still had feelings for her. Rosa gave Jake the number anyway, thinking that it would be best for him to find someone else if he wanted to move on from Amy. Sometimes, she thought that the workplace drama she was always surrounded by would make for a great TV show.</p><p>The day’s events had Rosa thinking about her own romantic life. She hadn’t been out with someone in ages, and even Scully was doing better than her. Holt, the Sarge, and Scully were married, Jake and Amy were in the dating game, Charles had recently been engaged, and she had no idea what situation Gina and Hitchcock were in. Sure, she had been thinking about Gina lately, but she still wasn’t sure what emotions she was feeling. Holt had called the feelings “romantic”, but Rosa didn’t know if that was the right word. She’d told Charles that she had a boyfriend as attempts to turn him away from her and was so successful in the protection of her personal life that no one seemed to question the claim.</p><p>Rosa sat there, feeling sorry for herself, until the last drops of her drink were drunk. Leaving the bottle on the table, she grabbed her things and stood, walking over to the bar. She rifled through her pocket for cash and gave three Lincolns to the cashier, who she told to keep the change. As she made her way to the door, she looked around the bar one last time, spotting Gina in an empty booth. She looked glum, just like she did at Jake’s return celebration, and Rosa decided to see what was wrong. She slipped the flower back behind her ear, as she had removed it for the motorcade. The clomping of her boots caught Gina’s attention, and she looked up as Rosa approached.</p><p>“Hey,” Gina said, forcing a grin.</p><p>“Hey.” Rosa sat in the booth, laying her bag next to her and her helmet on the table. “Crazy day, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m surprised you didn’t win.”</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“Well, you’re clearly more physically capable than Jake and Amy, and you’ve got a strong enough stomach. It’s just when it comes to people that your weaknesses show.”</p><p>“I guess I should probably work on that.” They sat in silence for a moment. “Is everything okay, Gina?”</p><p>“Of course everything’s okay. I’m Gina Linetti, bitch.”</p><p>Rosa cracked a small smile. “It’s just that you looked sad, sitting here all by yourself.”</p><p>Gina’s grin slumped slightly, and the mischievous glint in her eyes appeared to dim. “I don’t know. I think it’s just that I don’t really feel like part of the Squad sometimes. I mean, you guys are always off doing your own thing, like going to the Tactical Village, and I’m left at the 99 with only Holt to keep me company, but he prefers to work alone in his office.” By now, the grin had almost vanished. “When things like the Jimmy Jab Games come around, I’m nothing more than an announcer, and no one pays attention to the announcer. Hell, no one even seemed to notice my celebrity puns.”</p><p>“You mean the ones about Wahlberg, Ruffalo, Gosselaar, and Rogen?” Gina looked up from the table. “Gina, everyone has a part to play. Whether it’s in the Jimmy Jab Games or the precinct at large, everyone has a purpose. Without you, who would give the countdown? Who would handle reception? Who would tell Charles that his pants are too tight?” They laughed, and the grin returned. “You’re the one who keeps the entire Squad in its place. I know everyone is scared of me because I wear leather jackets and repress my emotions, but you intimidate them because you understand the human mind like no one else. You’re probably one of the smartest people I know.”</p><p>“You really are something, Rosa.” Gina hailed a passing barkeep. “Four beers, please.” Her eyes glowed with a cheeky light. “Let’s celebrate us. We control the 99 like the Illuminati controls the government.” The barkeep placed fours beers on the table, and the women each grabbed one, opening them with two satisfying pops. “To Rosa and Gina!”</p><p>“To Rosa and Gina.”</p><p>They clinked their glasses and the night really began.</p><p>They stayed at Shaw’s for hours, talking and laughing like madwomen. Four drinks became six, six became eight, and eight became ten. People came and people went, but Rosa and Gina stayed forever. No matter how far the clock hands turned, they remained in the booth with ease. Rosa talked about her time at Catholic school and a ballet academy, and Gina talked about Jake’s youth and her time in the youth enrollment program. Rosa told the story of her childhood as an immigrant, and Gina talked about what it was like growing up Catholic in a largely Jewish community. They shared more with each other than they ever had with anyone else. Rosa may have even told Gina about her sexuality.</p><p>Eventually, they ended up on the dark street, likely after being cut off by the bartender. They’d each had at least five drinks, and the sidewalk ahead of them swirled like a stormy sea. Rosa looked down at her hands and was met with sixteen fingers. They cackled as they walked down the street, vomiting a few times in trash cans and alleyways alike. Gina put on Rosa’s helmet and, overtaken by the weight of it, fell onto the cold concrete. After a few seconds, they both erupted into laughter and carried on.</p><p>The mercury lights of the lobby might as well have been flash grenades, and they were temporarily blinded by them. Arms over shoulders, they stumbled into the elevator and hit every button. When they stopped a few minutes later, they exited onto the wrong floor and had to climb the stairs to the right one. Finally, they reached the apartment, busting in loudly. They kicked off their shoes, breaking a vase or two in the process, before stopping to stare at each other.</p><p>Gina burped. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>They kissed once again, embracing each other hastily. Gina grabbed Rosa by the shirt, pulled her into the bedroom, and threw her onto the bed before climbing on top of her. Their kissing resumed, holding and caressing each other. Rosa inhaled deeply as she felt a hand moving up her thigh, and that was when she blacked out.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa woke to the muffled sounds of the city, sunlight coming in through the window. She sat up and looked around, throwing off the covers when she noticed Gina next to her. A quick examination found that they were both still fully clothed. Gina, mouth agape, was far gone in Dreamland. Rosa scrambled to her feet and hurried to collect her things, shoving her boots on and flinging her backpack over her shoulder. Closing the door quietly, she went to the elevator to collect her bearings. Her head was pounding, and she put on her helmet to substitute for sunglasses.</p><p>It didn’t look like anything had happened between her and Gina. They had just gotten really drunk, and the night slowly came back into her memory. Once again, a drunk Gina had kissed her, simultaneously bolding and blurring the line between her drunk and sober selves. Rosa’s mind spun in confusion, perplexed as to how it had happened twice. She was still unsure if Gina really liked her or not, or if five-drink Gina was a sapphic; she had been excessively drinking on both occasions, so it didn’t seem out of question, and everyone had a different personality after a different number of drinks. It could have been either, and each seemed just as plausible as the other. Things were getting out of hand, and Rosa felt every emotion at once. She started to silently cry, the tears hidden behind the visor of her helmet.</p><p>Walking briskly back to the 99, Rosa knew she had to talk to Holt. He would understand, and she trusted him more than anyone else she knew. It was only about 7:15 AM, but the precinct was the only place she wanted to be. Her stomach was churning, and she knew that she would vomit at some point or another. It felt like there was a hockey puck in her throat, and she picked up her pace until she was practically running. Getting to the precinct was the one goal she had at that moment.</p><p>When she reached the front doors, Rosa realized that she would have to take off her helmet if she were to try and get in the building. She slowly picked it up and wiped the tears off her face, walking into the lobby with her usual stride. It took everything she had to not break down again in the elevator, and rushed to the locker room once the doors opened. By now, her chin was trembling and her throat was wrecked. She left her bag in her locker and got into the shower, where she finally let everything out. Rosa choked out a sob as the searing water poured down on her, and her tears blended in with the water. She pounded the wall with her fists and clenched her teeth. Every time she felt something like this, she would usually burn everything that made her feel the way she did; this time, there was nothing to burn but her own skin. As the steam swirled around her body, Rosa realized where she was in the situation.</p><p>There was still a good amount of time until her shift started when Rosa came out of the locker room, so she sat herself down on the couch in Holt’s office. Noticing the pin was still on her jacket, she pocketed it and pulled out her phone to play Angry Birds; the sequel had recently come out, but she was a sucker for the classics. The game helped to take her mind off the present matter, but she was broken from her trance when the door opened. It was Holt. Almost forty-five minutes had passed.</p><p>“Detective?”</p><p>“Hey, Captain.”</p><p>Holt rested his briefcase on the desk and hung up his jacket before taking a seat at the desk. “Is there something I can do for you?”</p><p>Rosa stood to close the blinds, then sat in the chair across from Holt at the desk. “It happened again. Gina kissed me.”</p><p>“I see. How did that happen?”</p><p>“Well, I was about to leave the bar last night, but I went over to her because she looked sad. We ended up talking for hours and had a lot of drinks, and we ended up at her place, where we made out and…” Rosa paused. “I got on the bed and she got on top of me. The last thing I remember before I blacked out was her hand going up my thigh.”</p><p>“Do you think anything happened?”</p><p>“No. When I woke up, we were still fully clothed and she was out cold. I got the hell out of there, and she was still asleep when I left.”</p><p>Holt held his hand over his mouth, deep in thought. “How does it make you feel?”</p><p>“Considering I just bawled my eyes not in the shower, not good. Things were getting good, and now I’m right back at square one. It’s like a game of Chutes &amp; Ladders.”</p><p>“If your first instinct was to flee the situation, then it seems that you are panicked and confused. Is this true?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>He sighed. “I don’t think there is anything we can do here. If you can confront Gina about this, you may be able to get some answers. It seems to me that she is always the one to initiate the event.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “I just don’t know if it’s something she does when she’s drunk, or if it’s something that gets left over from her sober state.”</p><p>“She had been excessively drinking in both cases. Do you know how many drinks she had?”</p><p>“She and Charles had somewhere around ten bottles between them on the first night, and we probably drank about the same number last night.”</p><p>“So, if we assume that the drinks were evenly split on both nights, then we can deduce that Gina most likely had five drinks both times.”</p><p>“So, five-drink Gina is either a saucy sapphic or George Fucking Washington.”</p><p>“Ah, yes. Because he ‘cannot tell a lie.’ How humorous.” His face was just as blank as it always was. “Rosa, you can always talk to me and I will never tell another soul. Seeing as I have been something of a therapist to you recently, consider it doctor-patient confidentiality. I know what it’s like when you are questioning your sexuality and are confronted with a situation that forces you to acknowledge it in the real world instead of in your mind. What you are going through is completely normal.”</p><p>“Thanks.” She rose. “It’s nice having someone to talk to about all this. I really owe you something.”</p><p>“Your dedication to your work is payment enough. I am not doing this as your captain, but rather as your friend.”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “Then you’re the best damn friend I’ve ever had.” She went to grab the doorknob, but Holt spoke again.</p><p>“Speaking of which; why haven’t you told Peralta yet? I thought he was one of your closest friends.”</p><p>“It’s just that I’ve known him since the academy, but Gina’s known him since kindergarten. I have no idea how he’d feel if he found out about this, so I think it’s best that I keep it under wraps.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>With that, Rosa opened the door and walked out into the bullpen. She took a pair of sunglasses from her desk and sat at her computer, ready for another normal day of work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Bump In The Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After helping Holt win the Halloween Heist, Rosa prepares for a night of relaxation, but her night is rudely interrupted by an all too familiar stranger.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa shuffled to the couch, falling into it like a pine tree in December. She’d been to two Halloween parties that night: one on a party bus and another at some dance contest. The first party had been part of Holt’s plan to win the heist, which seemed to be an annual event now. This year, Jake had been tasked with stealing the watch off of Holt’s wrist and had been led to believe the criminal he hired to do so had stolen the watch, forcing Jake to go on a wild goose chase that had ended at an interrogation table. Rosa, wearing a cat costume, had accompanied Holt on the party bus and was responsible for swiping Jake’s badge so he would be unable to access the car impound, which held his car, which held Holt’s replica watch in turn. After that, she went with Amy and Terry to a dance contest, where the group Floorgasm was performing. The group had “danced” Gina, its own founder, out of the group earlier that day for missing too many practice sessions; it turned out that Gina was trying to earn her Bachelor’s Degree and had been making an attempt to balance dance and her studies. Rosa, Amy, and Terry agreed to help manage her time, and Terry performed a surprisingly impressive dance routine with her up on stage. It had been an exhausting night to say the least.</p><p>After a minute, Rosa got up from the couch and went to her room. She opened the closet and collected some clothes, then went into the bathroom to take a shower. She’d heard “Dead Man’s Party” several times that night (it was Halloween, after all) and sang it in the shower, the tiles making her voice sound far better than how she thought it did normally. It felt good to wash away all the drinks that had been spilled on her both on the party bus and at the dance contest, and she felt lighter when she stepped out. She changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants, then threw out the cat costume; just like the tropical dress, she now had no need for it. She began heating some water to make tea and played Welcome To Night Vale, a podcast she enjoyed, from her phone as she made herself some macaroni and cheese. Before long, Rosa was enjoying a steamy dinner at the table. She was kind of disappointed; another Halloween had come and gone, and she still had no spooky stories to tell.</p><p>As she was washing her bowl and fork, there came a knock at the door. Setting the items of the counter, Rosa dried her hands and went to see who was at the door so early in the morning. Opening it, she found Roxanne Jefferson standing in the hallway. Roxanne was a short black woman, her puffy hair a mix of black and grey, and she stared at Rosa with worrisome hazel eyes.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>“Hey, Roxanne. Is something wrong?”</p><p>“Well, it’s just that… There's a man loitering in the lobby. He’s been there well over an hour, and some of the other tenants are getting anxious.”</p><p>“Alright, I’ll check it out.” Rosa quickly grabbed her gun and phone, and returned to the hallway.</p><p>“I feel so silly for disturbing you at such an ungodly hour.”</p><p>“Don’t be. You did the right thing by bringing this to my attention. Stay here; I’ll be back before long.”</p><p>Roxanne nodded, and Rosa walked to the stairs. She carefully made her way to the lobby, stepping to each stair slowly. As the ground floor came into view, she pulled her gun up and held it out in front of her. There was a sudden scream and the thud of closing doors. Rosa practically flew down the rest of the stairs to find Lance Grey, the receptionist, cowering behind the desk. A swift survey of the room revealed that they were alone, and Rosa approached Lance as she turned the gun downward.</p><p>“Are you okay, Lance?” He nodded shakily. Rosa rushed out onto the street, but saw nobody.</p><p>She went back to Lance and helped him to a couch, then called 911. A couple of officers from the 99 arrived in just a few short minutes and took Lance’s report. Rosa informed Roxanne and the other tenants that the perp was gone, and they all shuffled back to their rooms. According to Lance, a man in a black sweatshirt had been standing in the lobby for a good while, muttering to himself and keeping his hands in his pockets. There was a CCTV camera in the corner, and Rosa decided to have a look at it. Stepping into the security office, she found an officer already viewing the tapes.</p><p>“Got anything yet?”</p><p>“No, he really did just stand there for an hour. The guy entered the lobby at 12:46 and fled at 1:32. He seemed to notice you coming down the stairs and fled, his sudden movement startling Mr. Grey and causing him to fall backward. Cameras outside show him turning left after running out the door. We sent some officers to check the alley next to the building, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.”</p><p>“Alright. Keep me posted if anything comes up.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>Leaving the office, Rosa walked back into the lobby. She couldn’t quite place it, but the perp looked somewhat familiar, like she had seen his wild obsidian hair somewhat before. The officers left after a few more minutes, and Rosa retired to her apartment. She left Lance with one of her knives in case the guy came back; she had more than enough in her stockpile, anyway. With the tenants back in their rooms and the lobby well-defended, it seemed that the night would be quite once more. Once she was back at her apartment, Rosa decided to dig into some of the candy she’d managed to swipe from the 99. Reaching into the bowl, she pulled out a mini Snickers bar and tore it open. She ate the whole thing in one bite, her teeth practically glued together by the caramel and chocolate.</p><p>Her attention was drawn from the sweets by a distant creak. It wasn’t the creak of a rusty hinge, but rather that of weight on a metal frame, and it was coming from the window. It sounded like someone was on the fire escape. Rosa slowly drew her gun and cocked it, flicking the Snickers wrapper onto the counter. Step-by-step, she got closer to the window, waiting for another sound. Suddenly, a face appeared, grimy and unshaven, with hands pressed on the windows. Rosa screamed and pulled the trigger, but he ducked down too quickly. The creaking continued, and a knife struck one of the bottom corners of the window, which shattered into a million little shards. The man did a kind of rolling flip over the window frame and stood, eyes bulging and fists shaking. It was clear that he was on something. Rosa was about to fire another shot when the man spoke.</p><p>“You bump into me, and you have the audacity to call me a ‘moron’?”</p><p>Rosa realized who the man was: she had bumped into him on that fateful night all those months ago, slamming his face into the table and twisting his arm until he screamed. “Who the fuck are you?”</p><p>“I don’t know anymore. I’ve been undercover for so damn long I don’t know who I am anymore.”</p><p>Rosa stepped closer and lowered the gun. “You’re a cop?” He was probably some crazy homeless guy.</p><p>The man became irate. “Don’t come a step closer, you hear me?” He pulled a knife from his pocket and Rosa raised the gun again. “You almost blew my cover at that bar, and you’re gonna pay for it.”</p><p>“I’m a cop, too, okay?” She held up her badge. “Just calm down.”</p><p>“I don’t care. I don’t fucking care! I’m a cop and I can do whatever the fuck I want!” He kicked the gun out of Rosa’s hand and charged with his knife, but she was able to break a bowl over his head. He charged headfirst, and she somersaulted onto the couch, pulling her gun on him. The man slowly stood with his hands up. “Alright, alright. I surrender.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, and the link was broken when the man made a break for the shattered window. Rosa fired and seemingly nicked his arm. There was the sound of feet rapidly running down metal stairs, and then, silence.</p><p>Rosa stood in shock for a moment, unsure of what had just happened. Once the initial shock wore off, she emptied out her bag and began to shove important items, like hygienic supplies and weapons, into it. She hastily threw on her boots and jacket, and grabbed her helmet and keys. Locking the door, she hurried to the stairs, then to the lobby. Lance looked up when she came down the staircase.</p><p>“Call the police, Lance.”</p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p>“Somewhere safe.”</p><p>Rosa walked as fast as she could to her motorcycle, unlocking it and speeding into the night as fast as she could, still wearing nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants. The ends of her jacket whipped in the wind, most of it held down by the bag, and she shivered as the autumn chill overtook her. There was only one place she could go.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa pulled up to the curb, looking up at the dark house. The street was lit by the occasional lamppost, the silence of the suburb deafening. Rosa locked her bike in an empty parking space and walked up to the porch. She knocked on the door, waited a minute, then knocked again. Nothing. She rang the doorbell and heard the yapping of a small dog from inside the house. Before long, Holt finally answered, nightcap and all. He looked groggy and confused.</p><p>“Detective, what are you doing at my house at…” With a dramatic flick of his wrist, he checked the time on his watch. “2:17 AM?”</p><p>“Someone tried to attack me in my apartment.”</p><p>Holt seemed to wake up instantly, like a drop of cold water had just hit the back of his neck. “Come in.” Rosa entered, and Holt flicked on the lights in his study, gesturing to the couch. “Have a seat.” He poured her a drink and they sat on the opposite sides of the coffee table. “So, what happened?”</p><p>“Another tenant knew I was a cop and came to tell me that there was some guy just standing there in the lobby, so I went to inspect and, right before I got to the ground floor, he bolted. Scared the hell out of the receptionist. Some cops came and went, and it seemed like some homeless guy had just wandered in and had some kind of mental episode. I went back to my apartment and he suddenly showed up at my window, broke it, and charged me with a knife. I managed to chase him off, but I didn’t feel safe and came here.”</p><p>“Did he give you a reason as to why he was trying to hurt you?”</p><p>“I bumped into him at the bar on the night Jake left.”</p><p>“Ah, yes. I remember. You subdued him with ease, and Sergeant Jeffords had you release him.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the one. He claimed to be an undercover cop and that I had somehow risked blowing his cover when I bumped into him.”</p><p>“What about a name?”</p><p>“I asked, but he just said that he had been undercover so long that he had forgotten who he really was. I had the receptionist call the cops on my way out, and I called them a few minutes ago just to make sure they knew what happened. I think I shot him, so there’s probably some blood they can test. I don’t feel safe staying at my apartment while the perp is unidentified, and I was wondering if I could stay here until then.”</p><p>“Of course. We have a spare bedroom anyway, and I don’t think Kevin would mind given the circumstances.” There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Kevin appeared. The captain’s husband held Cheddar the Corgi like an infant. “Speak the Devil’s name, and he appears.”</p><p>“What’s going on, Raymond?”</p><p>“Kevin, you know Rosa Diaz.”</p><p>“Hey, Professor.” Rosa waved.</p><p>“Yes, and what is she doing here?”</p><p>“Rosa was attacked by a man in her apartment, and she will have to stay with us until he is found.”</p><p>“I see.” Kevin scratched the chin of the Welsh canine. “Well, don’t let me get in your way.” He walked back up the stairs, Cheddar stuck with him.</p><p>Holt looked back at Rosa. “He means well. Come, I’ll show you to your room.” They rose and followed Kevin’s path up the stairs. Holt opened the door to a vacant room, well-kept and clean. “I hope this will do.”</p><p>“Thanks a bunch, Captain. I’m sorry for bothering you so early in the morning.”</p><p>“Ray Holt never hesitates to help a friend in need, Rosa. Now, get some rest. You look like you haven’t slept a wink since you left the precinct.” With that, Holt took his leave.</p><p>Rosa walked to the bed and lay down for the first time in almost twenty-four hours. She left her bag and helmet next to the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.</p><p>---</p><p>Two days after her flight to Holt’s house, Rosa was typing up a report on her computer; she’d arrested a lady for absolutely wrecking her ex-boyfriend’s apartment with a golf club, and was lucky to have come back without a single bruise. Finally, she was able to submit the form and exhaled. Leaning back in her chair, she felt herself starting to fall asleep again. She was having trouble sleeping, made paranoid by the incident just a couple nights ago.</p><p>“Rosa?” Holt’s words pulled her away from the land of sleep. “Could I see you in my office?”</p><p>“Sure.” She rose and followed him, noticing that the blinds were closed. There was a man sitting in front of the desk, and he stood to greet her.</p><p>“Hello, Detective. I am Ernest Saber of the FBI.” They shook hands.</p><p>“What can I do for you, agent?”</p><p>“There was a match for the blood found at your apartment. It seems that the man who attacked you was Adrian Pimento, an undercover cop investigating Jimmy Figgis.”</p><p>“As in Jimmy ‘The Butcher’ Figgis? The infamous crime lord?”</p><p>“That’s the one. Detective Pimento has been undercover for well over a decade, and it wouldn’t be out of the question if he were to become confused with his identity. Not to mention the history of mental illness in his family. It seems that he was suffering from a manic episode the night he attacked you, likely from an undiagnosed case of bipolar disorder. He was likely at Shaw’s to visit one of his old haunts, as I know he was a regular there back in the day.”</p><p>“So what you’re saying is that he’s not a threat?”</p><p>“Essentially, yes. We will begin supplying him with antipsychotics, but let us know if he continues to be a problem.”</p><p>“Thank you, Agent Saber. I’m just glad to know it wasn’t some random stalker.”</p><p>“I really must apologize for his actions. We should have been doing mental evaluations this whole time, and I’m sorry that the best we can do is some pills.”</p><p>“Jimmy Figgis is a dangerous man. I understand that you need to take risks to capture him, and I know you’re doing what’s best.”</p><p>“Thank you, and thanks for allowing me to explain the situation. Now, we can put this whole thing behind us. Good day, Detective. Captain Holt.” He nodded respectfully and left, closing the door behind him.</p><p>Holt broke the silence. “I suppose that means you can return to your apartment.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so. I had someone replace the window while I was gone, so it should be as good as new. I will miss Cheddar, though.”</p><p>Holt chuckled. “He seemed very affectionate towards you. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Kevin was jealous.”</p><p>Rosa pondered for a second, smirking at the thought. “Maybe I should get a dog.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A Day In The Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Recently given command of an important anti-drug task force, Rosa shifts her focus from Gina to her work, going to investigate a lead with help from Santiago.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘“Giggle Pig.” What a name for a drug.’</p><p>Rosa sat on the sandy beach, watching the dark waves rise and fall. The sea was like a rippling mirror at night, reflecting the sky in its entirety. Her hair, dangling like the branches of a willow tree, was lightly rustled by the winds that blew in from the distant heart of the ocean. For the first time in forever, it felt as if there wasn’t a single problem in the world.</p><p>It was a night for celebration, and for contemplation. Earlier that evening, Rosa and Terry had operated a successful sting to apprehend a dealer of Giggle Pig, a dangerous new drug ravaging the area. The sting had been at a local silent disco, a rather odd establishment, and had yielded much-needed information. Terry had been somewhat paranoid because the dealer wore a t-shirt from his daughters’ preschool, but was brought back down to Earth when he found that she had never actually attended it. In other news, Jake and Holt had foiled Deputy Chief Wuntch’s attempts to crush the captain once-and-for-all, combatting Wuntch’s blackmail with their own; Jake had been taking files home and was not the best at returning them, a situation which could have resulted in his suspension. Wuntch had one of her allies move in under the guise of an internal investigation, looking for a mole that was leaking sensitive information, but Jake and Holt’s keen detective skills had swiftly defeated the plot.</p><p>But if it was such a good night, then why was Rosa alone on a beach past midnight? All Rosa knew was that she needed to get away. The last few weeks had brought more stress than she was used to, driving her nearly to the edge of madness. The incidents with Gina and this Pimento guy had her so confused at the surrounding world, adding to the increasingly-complex web that was her life. Gina’s actions, and the possibility that she had some kind of feelings for her, had forced Rosa to finally examine her sexuality in the real world, just as Holt had said. Even though Pimento was put on antipsychotic pills, such things were merely preventative measures rather than outright cures, meaning that it certainly wouldn’t be out of the question for him to experience another manic episode. At this point, Rosa was avoiding alcohol like the plague and glancing over her shoulder constantly. She acted like a leather-clad badass whenever she was surrounded by colleagues and strangers, but really, she was scared.</p><p>There was something about the beach that felt isolated from the rest of the world, as if her memories were just figments of her imagination. The sand was like a mattress, the wind like a blanket, and the water like a white-noise machine. The oceanic chill was comparable to a drink of cold beer. Rosa’s tension washed away everytime she sat on that shore, usually on Friday nights after a long week of work. Oftentimes, she would get a pang of emotion and would look at a selfie Gina once forced her to take of the two of them. It was a perfect portrait of their opposing personalities.</p><p>Looking at the picture, Rosa began to think about her own feelings towards Gina, and what exactly they were. Before all this, Gina had typically been a constant irritation, organizing files by “perp hotness” and ditching her responsibilities to practice with her dance troop. But now, the files were reorganized and Floorgasm had moved on, and while Gina may have still been a bit of a bother with her constant chatter and all, she was becoming more bearable by the day. Sure, Rosa still got frustrated with her sometimes, but the problem was always resolved quickly and they could carry on with the day as normal. Maybe it was just an effect of the incidents, but Gina also seemed to be acting as a coolant for Rosa’s hot temper. Gina kept Rosa from bursting out at the others and, in return, Rosa provided Gina with an audience for her ramblings. They seemed to go together like wine and cheese.</p><p>---</p><p>After shaking the rest of the sand out of it, Rosa hung her jacket on the chair and slumped into the thin cushion. The pressure to keep Holt’s Giggle Pig task force going was adding to her already high stress level, and there was nothing interesting or exciting to distract her from it. She booted up her computer and sipped her tea, ready for an uneventful day of deskwork. She logged in, opened the proper programs, checked her to-do pile, and spent about fifteen minutes doing so. Growling, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. A kick at her desk brought her gaze back from the mercury lights. Gina stood in front of her, clipboard in hand.</p><p>“Good morning, sunshine.”</p><p>“‘Morning.”</p><p>“I say that ironically, because you always look like you just walked off the set of Sons Of Anarchy.” Typical Gina.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Gina handed over the forms, and Rosa accepted them without hesitation. “Do you like filling out paperwork or something?”</p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p>“It’s just that you always seem kinda pleased whenever I bring some over.”</p><p>Rosa shrugged. “It gives me something to do.”</p><p>“Suit yourself.” Gina turned and walked back to her own desk, resuming her separation from the rest of the precinct by pouring her full attention back into the iPhone in her hands.</p><p>Rosa’s gaze lingered for a few seconds, glued to Gina’s figure, before she looked down at the paperwork. Taking up a pen, she began filling out the forms. Maybe paperwork really wasn’t so bad.</p><p>By the time the pen left the last page, Rosa’s wrist was weak and limp. She dropped the small stack on Gina’s desk, which was vacant. A good amount of time had passed, and now she had to find something else to do. In addition to the Giggle Pig task force, Rosa was also investigating a minor marijuana operation. Her main suspect was Hila Grunewald, who had been arrested a couple years back for possession of an illegal firearm, and so she decided to check in on Hila. Such an operation would need at least a couple people to run, and Rosa knew she would need backup. Looking around, she chose Amy and approached her desk.</p><p>“Hey, Santiago?”</p><p>“Yes, Rosa?”</p><p>“I’m going to check on a lead, and  I might need backup. You wanna come with?”</p><p>“I’ve got nothing better to do.” Amy grabbed her coat and stood. “Shall we?”</p><p>“We shall.” They headed over to the elevator, which chimed as the metal doors slid open. They entered the box and, hitting the ground floor button, began their descent.</p><p>---</p><p>The car pulled up to the curb outside of a small storage space. According to payment records, Grunewald had been footing the bill for the past two years. Rosa had acquired a search warrant a few days earlier, but had been too busy with the task force to take advantage of it. Hopefully, they could recover valuable information and maybe even a list of clients. At least this was eating up more of Rosa’s time. She had briefed Amy on the way to the unit, and they were ready to move it. Leaving the car, they approached the door to the building.</p><p>Rosa opened the door and stepped aside. “Ladies first.”</p><p>“Um… thank you?”</p><p>“You’re welcome, ma’am.”</p><p>The detectives walked up to an enclosed booth, sporting a window implanted with a grated hole. Rosa knocked on the glass, and an older woman emerged from a door in the booth. She was old enough to be one of Charles’s senior lovers. The lady brought her glasses to her face, squinting through the scratched-up window, and scoffed.</p><p>“Well, whaddya know? A couple of Mexican lesbians.”</p><p>Amy was taken aback and gasped. “Excuse me?”</p><p>Rosa held a finger over Amy’s lips. “I’m Detective Rosa Diaz, NYPD.” She showed her badge. “This is my…” The word “partner” didn’t seem appropriate for the situation. “...colleague, Detective Santiago. We’re here to check out Unit 20.”</p><p>“You got a warrant for that?”</p><p>The form was exchanged through a small slot at the bottom of the window and, once she seemed convinced, the lady handed it back over with a set of keys. Rosa thanked her and dragged Amy into the depths of the winding steel maze. The only lights in the place were distant and grimy windows made of glass blocks. Blue doors lined every corridor, each identical to the last. As their feet clicked on the concrete floor, they drew and cocked their sidearms. Unit 20 was insignificant from an external standpoint, its door just as blue as every other. Once the two reached it, Rosa went to insert the key, but noticed that it was already unlocked. There must have been someone inside.</p><p>Rosa turned to Amy. “Cover me.” Amy nodded.</p><p>Slowly, she grabbed the handle and lifted the thin metal. What she found was the jackpot: the floor was lined with plastic planting trays, an empty column running between the two sides, with sunlamps beaming down. There was a man sitting on the floor, wearing a grey sweatshirt and gardening gloves, and smoking a joint.</p><p>“What’s up, ladies?”</p><p>Raising her gun, Rosa gave the typical commands. “NYPD. Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head.”</p><p>The man nodded slowly. “Nice.” He did as he was told and was cuffed in a matter of seconds.</p><p>Amy was already in the process of calling CSI, so Rosa was in charge of getting the perp to the car. Pulling him up by the hood of his sweatshirt, she escorted him to the front door. When asked, the old lady at the desk said that she’d never seen the guy before and that he must have broken in through the back door. Taking note of this, Rosa carried on to the curb and threw the perp into the backseat of the car. She leaned against the hood and was spacing out when the perp started calling out to someone from inside the car. It looked like he was yelling at someone down the street and, sure enough, there was Hila Grunewald, walking down from the east. When she saw Rosa, she turned around and bolted. Cursing, Rosa climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key to start the engine. She sped forward, pulling into the alleyway that Grunewald had escaped down. It was a dead end, but there was a dumpster pressed against a wall. As she stepped out of the car to approach the dumpster, Rosa readied her stun gun; those dealing in the realm of narcotics could be especially defensive and resistant. She slowly stepped closer, reaching out her hand to lift the big black cover, fingers hovering over it. Suddenly, Grunewald jumped out from the behind the other end of the dumpster, a small pocket knife gripped firmly in her hand. The dealer swung her arm back and tried to stab downwards, but Rosa caught the arm and pulled the trigger on her weapon, causing Grunewald to convulse as electricity shot along her nerves. Cuffing and dragging her to the car, Rosa made her way back to the units.</p><p>A few minutes later, CSI showed up to photograph the scene and confiscate the evidence. There were twelve planting trays and four sunlamps being used to grow marijuana, along with 7.5 pounds of harvested plants in plastic bags. The man identified himself as Frederick Grunewald, Hila’s cousin, and agreed to provide the names of buyers in exchange for a reduced sentence; the Grunewalds were looking at a good few years in prison, in addition to at least five thousands dollars in fines. The operation was a great success, and Rosa was proud of both herself and Amy.</p><p>---</p><p>CSI packed up a bit after lunch, and everyone was able to return to the precinct, cops and criminals alike. The bust was a big win, crippling a local narcotics ring; it wasn’t Giggle Pig, but it was still a win. The last few days had been kind of dull, so Rosa was just glad that she’d been able to do something exciting. Amy, on the other hand, was hopped up on adrenaline, knowing that Holt would commend her and Rosa for their service that day. She had always been something of a teacher’s pet and looked up to Holt as a mentor, meaning that any kind of thanks from him was practically an A+ in her eyes. For the whole ride back to the 99, she enthusiastically ranted in a breathless rush.</p><p>“I bet Holt’s going to be so proud of us! Maybe he’ll even give us a medal, or shake my hand! Thank God for illegal marijuana consumption!” The error of her words was quickly realized. “I mean… good thing we found these hooligans when we did, because now the neighborhood has one less drug to worry about. And because Holt might even say my first name! He’ll be all like: ‘I want to thank you, Amy, from the bottom of my heart.’ And then I’ll be like: ‘Nothin’ to it, Ray.’ And then we’ll high-five and go get wasted at the bar! All my greatest dreams are coming true!”</p><p>“‘All My Greatest Dreams Are Coming True,’ title of your sextape.”</p><p>“I thought only Jake was allowed to say that. You know he doesn’t like it when people steal his jokes.”</p><p>“I’m sure he’d make an exception this time around.” There was a pause before Rosa spoke again. “So, what’s going on with you and Jake? I know he said that he was over you and all-”</p><p>“‘He Was Over You And All,’ title of your sextape!”</p><p>“I like women.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Thing is, Jake has a hard time letting go of emotions sometimes. He’s been acting pretty normal, joking around and such, but boys pull girls’ pigtails when they like them, and I feel like Jake might be doing the same with you. I’ve known him longer than I’ve known anyone else at the 99, so I know he won’t try to get in the way of your relationship with Teddy, but I need to know that you’ll be strong enough to turn him down if he does for whatever reason. Can you do that?”</p><p>Amy looked somewhat confused, but nodded as if she understood. “Yeah, I think I can.”</p><p>“Good. Jake needs to learn a few lessons about maturity. I love the guy, but he just has to act his age sometimes.” There was another pause.</p><p>“You seem to be talking about a lot of ‘buts’.”</p><p>“‘A Lot Of Butts-’”</p><p>“Title of my sextape.” Amy sighed. “I know.” Rosa grinned.</p><p>The rest of the ride was silent, the cousins Grunewald still high on their own supply. They pulled up to the precinct shortly before 1:00 PM and escorted their captives to the holding cell, then went through the process of booking them. Following this, they filled out the necessary forms and gave them to Gina, who gave them to Holt in turn. By 3:00 PM, it was almost as if nothing had even happened. Rosa and Amy were sitting back at their desks, their time unoccupied.</p><p>Having missed lunch, Rosa was craving a good-sized snack, and so she walked over to the breakroom. She retrieved a bag of potato chips and a soda from the vending machine, turning to find a sleeping Hitchcock on the green couch. After setting the soda down on the table, Rosa crept over to the door and closed it, moving quietly over to the couch. She readied the bag of chips next to Hitchcock’s exposed ear and aimed her hand so that the air would be forced upward, opening the bag. In a flash, she popped the bag, creating a loud sound akin to the firing of a pistol. Hitchcock woke and screamed, scrambling to his feet. He looked around hurriedly before he noticed Rosa, who was cackling in delight.</p><p>“Hey, what was that for?”</p><p>Reaching into the bag, Rosa held up a single large chip, launching it into the air with an underhand throw. Hitchcock caught it in his mouth. With that, Rosa grabbed the soda and opened the door, while Hitchcock returned to his state of repose on the couch. Just as Rosa walked out into the bullpen, Holt emerged from his office.</p><p>“Diaz, Santiago.” Amy took a deep breath and stood, clearly trying to keep her excitement hidden. Rosa simply stopped and looked toward the captain. “I see that you have taken down the Grunewald cannabis ring. Good work.”</p><p>Amy exploded, as was to be expected. “All in a day’s work, Ray!” Holt stared blankly, and Amy went silent.</p><p>Returning his gaze to Rosa, Holt continued. “Detective Diaz, I may need you to work overtime to identify former clients of the Grunewalds who may turn to Giggle Pig as an alternative drug. Are you up to the task?”</p><p>“Sure thing, Captain.”</p><p>“Good. I’ll send you and Sergeant Jeffords a list of names once it becomes available. For now, I need you and Santiago in interrogation with Hila Grunewald.” Holt turned and retreated back into his office without another word.</p><p>Shoving another chip in her mouth, Rosa gestured to the hall with her head. Amy nodded and gathered up the proper papers. The day wasn’t over just yet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Strangest Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stressed out by her life, Rosa decides to have a night of relaxation, but has a strange experience and is confronted by Amy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day was finally over, and Rosa was happy with herself: she had successfully convinced Amy to run for the office of union representative against Scully, incumbent representative of twelve years. Despite being the union rep for over a decade, Scully still pronounced “union” as “onion” and only went to the meetings for subs. The only disadvantage that came with his loss was that Rosa wouldn’t be getting the golden boat he had promised, which was just a damn shame.</p><p>Jake, on the other hand, hadn’t had such a good day: the night before, he’d slept with a woman who turned out to be the defense attorney who was testifying on the behalf of a criminal that he and Terry were trying to put away for a “diamond heist” (a jewelry store robbery in actuality). They ended up losing the case, but Jake had decided to keep dating the attorney anyway. Her name was Sofia and, while Rosa did have to admit that she was kind of hot, it was like if John McClane had slept with Hans Gruber, an analogy from Terry that likely originated with Jake.</p><p>Looking down at her drink, Rosa was met with her own amber reflection. Things were getting more relaxed, but there were still plenty of things to weigh down on her mind, like the Giggle Pig task force and the confusion she felt around her situation with Gina. She’d been trying to avoid alcohol, but the stress had driven her back to it, and it wasn’t until now that she realized how much she’d missed the taste, how it tumbled down her gullet and soothed her anxiety. Everything in the bar was dark, from the beer to the tables to the lights, and that was just how Rosa liked it. At times, it felt like home-away-from-home, the only place outside of her apartment where she could relax. It could be a bustling party spot one minute and a place for meditation the next. Rosa could see that duality within herself, and began to wonder if that kind of duality was what defined humanity. It was then that Hank, the bartender, approached her.</p><p>“I haven’t seen you around here too much lately.”</p><p>“I’ve been busy.”</p><p>“What, you get a promotion or something? Or does it have something to do with the Italian gal?”</p><p>“That’s none of your business.”</p><p>“Ah, the Italian. I see. Are you two together, or is it complicated?”</p><p>“It’s none of your business, that’s what it is.”</p><p>“Complicated, then.” Hank turned to shelf the glass he was cleaning, and Rosa gulped down the rest of her drink out of frustration, staring into the empty glass. “You want a refill?”</p><p>“No.” Rosa was entranced by nothing and she couldn’t take her eyes off it. When she looked back up, Hank was gone, off servicing other customers, and she wished she had taken him up on that refill.</p><p>There was movement in the corner of her eye, and Rosa turned to find Gina taking a seat on the stool next to her own. Her heart picked up its pace. Gina signalled Hank and ordered her usual drink, something complex and unique which Rosa couldn’t remember three seconds after it was ordered. Hank went to work crafting the beverage, and Rosa tried to focus back on her empty glass. It was no use.</p><p>Gina slumped over the counter. “You’re lucky you’ve got the task force to keep you busy.”</p><p>With some reluctance, Rosa responded. “Why’s that?”</p><p>“My life’s been kinda boring lately. Ever since I got danced out of Floorgasm, all I’ve had to do is study for my degree. And it’s not like my work at the 99 is all that exciting.”</p><p>“Then why haven’t you looked for another job?”</p><p>“Because I don’t have any other skills aside from dancing. Besides, I’d be leaving all my friends behind.” Gina placed a hand on Rosa’s shoulder, causing the detective to tense up. Realizing her mistake, she slowly retracted the hand. Rosa felt a pang of guilt. “I don’t really know anyone outside the 99, and I don’t want to have to start the process of making friends all over again.”</p><p>“But you’re so extroverted.”</p><p>“I know. I just… I don’t like talking to people if I don’t have to, especially people I’ve never met before. I wouldn’t have to do that if I stayed at the 99.” Rosa thought the logic was somewhat flawed, but didn’t confront it. “Besides, I don’t really have any other reason to change jobs. The 99 pays well enough, and nothing can really match working at a police station. Ten times a day, I see more weirdos than most people see in a year.” She looked over at her co-worker and friend. “You’re a good listener.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Sometimes I feel like you’re the only one who really understands me.” Rosa bowed her head towards the counter, the curls of her hair hiding her blushing cheeks. Gina looked down at the empty glass. “Get a refill already. Let’s get loose.”</p><p>Standing, Rosa plopped a few bills on the counter. “I should probably get going. I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I need all the sleep I can get. You know, task force and all.”</p><p>Gina nodded. “Goodnight, then.”</p><p>“Goodnight.” Was that disappointment she saw in Gina’s eyes?</p><p>Walking to the end of the counter, Rosa passed Hank, who raised an eyebrow. She gave him a dirty look and carried on to the door, looking back as she pushed it open. There was Gina, alone again with no company but a glass of her own special drink. Rosa forced herself to keep going, and she made her way to the street just a few steps below. The sidewalk was nearly empty, just like it always was on those late nights, and the warm chill on the summer breeze was pleasant. The click of her boots echoed, the sound caught between the brownstones like a river between its banks. Helmet swinging at her side, Rosa strode to the precinct to retrieve her bike. She thought back on how she had acted and if it had been too cold; she knew Gina was lonely, and maybe she had been right when she said that Rosa’s social skills weren’t the best. She halted under a streetlamp, half-turning in the direction of Shaw’s and debating whether or not she should go back. She shook her head and took a few more steps, but stopped again after a couple of seconds. After some brief consideration, Rosa forced herself onward and didn’t look back.</p><p>---</p><p>With a slight clang, the weights touched the floor and Rosa stood back up straight. The twenty pounds of metal were easy to lift, but enough repetitions made them feel like they weighed twice as much as they really did, and their spheroid shape meant that the weight was not spread out whatsoever. She’d done a few rounds of reps by now and felt satisfied with her workout, grabbing her water bottle and taking a swig. It was pretty perfect timing, too, as she was just finishing the latest episode of Welcome To Night Vale. Cold sweat ran down the back of her neck, but was smothered under her hair as she pulled the hair tie out; working out was one of the few things which Rosa thought warranted a ponytail. Plugging her phone in to charge and leaving her earbuds on the counter, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, disrobing as steam trickled out from behind the white curtain.</p><p>Stepping into the water was like drinking hot chocolate after walking through a blizzard. It washed away the sweat and grime that had accumulated over the day, and the steam she breathed in seemed to melt the tension in her chest. Rosa stood in the stream for a minute before she grabbed the shampoo, which was applied to her hair in a dime-sized blob. She massaged her scalp as she rubbed it in, the world outside the shower fading away as relaxation overcame her. When she stepped back into the stream, there was a tingling sensation as the shampoo ran down over her shoulders and along her spine. Next, she took up a brush and rubbed body soap into it, taking in a whiff of the lavender scent as she did so. She began scrubbing slowly and rhythmically, raising the hairs on her arms as the bristles gently scraped away the dirt and dead skin. It was like a self-serve spa in there, soothing better than any drink Rosa could imagine. She just wished she had someone to enjoy it with.</p><p>To keep her water bill down, Rosa reluctantly turned off the shower after only a few minutes and dried herself off, wrapping her now-straight hair in a towel. Pulling a bathrobe over her shoulders, she walked to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. While waiting for the water to heat up, she dumped her dirty clothes in a laundry basket and sat herself down on the couch, taking up the copy of American Psycho on the coffee table. She was able to read a handful of paragraphs before the kettle beeped to signal the completion of its task. Tossing the book back onto the short table, she rose to pour the water and placed the tea bag in her mug. She managed to get a few more minutes of reading in, stirring a spoonful of honey into the warm water after waiting for a few more minutes. Finally, after a drawn-out process that took about fifteen minutes to complete, Rosa was finally able to sit down and enjoy her tea, sitting on the couch and letting her hair down; the curls were starting to return, if slowly.</p><p>Rosa managed to bang out a couple of chapters before the effects of the sleepytime tea began to set in, placing the empty mug on the coffee table as she drifted off, the book falling to her chest as her fingers went limp.</p><p>There was no gradual process of awakening; Rosa was just suddenly there, standing in a darkened precinct as white particles floated everywhere. She glanced around the bullpen, searching for any signs of life, but there was no one. Walking over to her desk, she tried to turn on her computer to no avail. She tried Charles’s computer, then Hitcock’s, Scully’s, Terry’s, Jake’s, and Amy’s, but nothing happened. She even tried the lights, the fluorescent bulbs remaining dark and silent. It was then that she realized the door to the captain’s office was closed, as were the blinds. Slowly, Rosa crept towards the door, reaching out to grab the handle. Once it was in her grasp, she turned it and leaned forward as the door hinges creaked. The back of the chair was turned to her, but she could see that there was someone sitting in it, and that someone was clearly not Holt. Her hand flew to her side, but Rosa found that she was wearing no holster. She checked the rest of her person and could not find a single weapon, which was something that never happened. There was a creak, and Rosa looked up to see that the chair had turned.</p><p>The man stared at her with eyes that were somewhat stoic. His smooth skin was a fair pink, his long hair was a golden blond, and his watchful eyes were a bright blue. Rosa didn’t dare to breathe, whipping around in shock at the sound of the closing door. She turned back to the man, who hadn’t moved a muscle.</p><p>“Who the hell are you? Where’s Holt?”</p><p>The man stood, and Rosa noticed that he was wearing a military uniform, sporting five whole stars. She thought it strange that a general had such long hair. He remained silent. He snapped his fingers, and the door opened. An old clergyman, both his hair and beard long and white, entered the office. He was just as silent as the general, but his eyes were much warmer. The clergyman walked to the desk and shook the general’s hand while Rosa watched on in perplexion. The general motioned towards Rosa and the clergyman turned to her. He smiled and extended his hand. Rosa extended her own, feeling for some reason that she could trust him, and grasped his hand.</p><p>Rosa woke with a start, sitting up immediately. The book tumbled to the floor, but she failed to notice. The dream she had just had, of the general and the clergyman, was the most vivid one she had ever experienced, and it unnerved her. Was it some sort of premonition, or just a side effect of the tea? She had been raised to believe the former, but the latter just seemed more reasonable. Then again, she’d drank that same tea dozens of times before, and this was the first time something of that sort had happened. She didn’t know what to think.</p><p>Standing to check the time, she saw that it was already 8:15 in the morning. Rosa scrambled to her feet and tore off the robe, dashing to her bedroom to find a change of clothes. The first things she grabbed were a sports bra, a black tee-shirt, and a pair of black jeans, which she threw on in a haste. Rushing to the kitchen, she fumbled through the cabinet for a pack of instant oatmeal, pouring it in a thermos and mixing it with cold water. Pulling on her jacket, she grabbed her things and left, locking the door as she went. As she put on her helmet and adjusted her bag, Rosa realized that Thanksgiving was next week. It still felt like Halloween had been a few days ago, and time was passing quicker than she could keep up with it. Soon, Christmas would be upon her and she wouldn’t even know it.</p><p>She wished Lance a good morning as she passed the reception desk and pushed through the glass doors, emerging onto the street. Cars, buses, and taxis passed as they ferried people to their jobs, and Rosa knew she could cut through them all like cheese on her bike. Inserting and turning the key, she hopped onto the leather seat as the engine roared to life. With another rev, she turned the handle bars towards traffic and integrated herself into the mix, disappearing like a needle into a haystack.</p><p>---</p><p>Boots pounding on the floor, Rosa walked to her desk at a brisk pace. Dropping her bag on the ground and dumping her helmet on the desk, she slumped into her chair. Amy, whose gaze had followed Rosa from the gate, turned to her.</p><p>“Damn, Rosa. You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”</p><p>Scully looked around rapidly in terror. “Ghost? What ghost?” That same fear was visible on Hithcock’s face.</p><p>Amy rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Rosa. “You look kinda shaken up.”</p><p>“I just had a weird dream, that’s all.”</p><p>“What was it about?”</p><p>“It’s not important.”</p><p>Jake chimed in. “Come on, Rosa. What did you dream about?”</p><p>“A general and a clergyman.” Jake and Amy seemed confused, and the Sarge raised his head from his work.</p><p>It was Charles’s turn to make a statement. “Ooh, a sex dream. What position did you guys use?” Rosa gestured for him to come closer, and he did. She slapped him as hard as she could, leaving a red handprint on his face.</p><p>“I never have sex dreams, you perv.”</p><p>Amy scoffed. “Come on, Rosa. I think we’ve all had that dream where we get dominated by a messier and more unorganized version of ourselves, a really rebellious reflection.” She looked around at all the confused faces staring at her. “Just me?”</p><p>Jake couldn’t keep a straight face. “Was Cluttered Amy the best - and only - lover you have ever been with?”</p><p>“No! She’s not the only one, you idiot.”</p><p>Rosa grinned. “You didn’t answer the question.”</p><p>Jake repeated himself. “Was Cluttered Amy the best lover you were ever with?”</p><p>Amy’s mouth hung open in thought, as if she were struggling to get the words out.</p><p>“Come on, Santiago.” Holt stood in his office doorway. “Detective Peralta asked you a question. A good cop is always honest with their colleagues.” His eyes bore into her, and she slowly nodded.</p><p>Rosa cackled. “Amy had a sex dream about herself and liked it!”</p><p>Gina poked her head out of the breakroom. “Amanda! I never thought you were such a freak! Of course, the only sex dreams I ever have are about myself. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I was sent to Earth by Aphrodite herself, after all.”</p><p>Trying to divert attention away from herself, Amy posed a question. “How is it?”</p><p>“Regina is an amazing lover.” Gina nodded her head slowly. “She knows just how I like it.”</p><p>Rosa noticed that the Sarge hadn’t eaten any yogurt yet, even though there was an open cup right next to him. “You good, Sarge?”</p><p>“Terry can’t eat his yogurt when everyone’s talking about having sex with themselves.” The awkwardness was visible in his eyes. “It’s really gross.”</p><p>Gina tilted her head. “Oh, Terrence. I forgot you were such a prude.” She patted his shoulder. “It’s probably why you’re a virgin, like Amy.”</p><p>“I have two kids!”</p><p>“Virgin,” she hissed as she backed into the breakroom. Terry just shook his head and returned to his work, and the rest of the Squad followed suit.</p><p>---</p><p>Tearing into a bag of Cheez-Its, Rosa popped a few crackers into her mouth and took a sip of Coke. She was thinking about her dream, wondering who the men were, when Amy walked in. She sat down at the table with her lunch, a sandwich and bottled water.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa.”</p><p>Rosa looked up from her snack. “Hey.”</p><p>Unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite, Amy briefly partook in the silence which Rosa reveled in. “I know you think it went unnoticed because you said it so quickly, but I heard what you said the other day.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“On the drive back from the Grunewald bust.”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“That you like women.”</p><p>Rosa stopped, just about to eat another cracker, which she dropped back into the bag. “Oh, yeah. That.”</p><p>“Have you come out yet?”</p><p>“No. I guess it just kinda slipped.”</p><p>“How long have you known?”</p><p>“A long time.”</p><p>Amy looked at Rosa with sympathy in her eyes. “Traditional Catholic family?” Rosa nodded. Amy placed a hand on Rosa’s and smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”</p><p>Rosa decided to take a leap of faith. “I like Gina.”</p><p>“Oh. Wow.”</p><p>“Yeah. She kissed me when she was drunk the night Jake went undercover, and it’s been a downward spiral ever since. We almost did it while we were drunk after the Jimmy Jab Games, too.”</p><p>“So say something to her. Maybe she feels the same way.”</p><p>Rosa shook her head. “That was five-drink Gina. Sober Gina might just be straight.”</p><p>“But why not take the chance? Besides, it’s Gina. I’ve never been able to get a real read on her.”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “Thanks, Amy. Sorry I tease you so much.”</p><p>“It’s alright.”</p><p>They continued to eat in silence after that. Rosa was still far from being confident enough to confront Gina, but realized that she’d have to do so eventually, preferably sooner than later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A Tumultuous Turkey Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It’s Thanksgiving, and the Squad is ready to go home at noon. However, when a potentially mortal package shows up, things take a turn for the worse.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things were looking good. The Squad was leaving at noon, and Holt and Terry would be at Brighton Beach for most of the day, leaving Jake in charge of the precinct. Jake’s first act as acting-captain was to grant the individual wishes of the Squad, allowing Rosa to work in the breakroom because he had also allowed Charles to say “succulent” as much as he wanted. Now, in the true spirit of Thanksgiving, they were going to hurl little gourds at Jake.</p><p>Brandishing a riot shield, Jake stood in front of the elevator doors, while the rest of the squad stood behind the fence. “The elevator will be the goal, and I’ll try and block it. Ready, set, go!” At the mark, they all started throwing their projectile vegetables. There was the thunderous sound of hollow gourds hitting bulletproof plastic, and Rosa did her best to aim for the metal doors. Jake, his arms not dissimilar to spaghetti noodles, struggled to spin the heavy shield and failed to deflect the majority of the gourds. Once their supply of gourds had run out, Jake’s arms went limp and the shield hit the floor. “And that’s 12:00, everybody. You’re free to leave.”</p><p>The Squad dispersed to collect their things, Rosa among them. She slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her helmet, ready for an afternoon of relaxation.</p><p>“Have a happy Thanksgiving, Rosa,” Amy said, pulling on her jacket.</p><p>“Humbug,” came the response. There was a commotion at the gate. Rosa and Amy looked over, and Jake and Charles were staring at something on the floor. They approached cautiously. “What’s going-” Rosa fell silent when she saw the box on the floor, a white powder on the floor around it. She felt the blood drain from her head, but tried to keep a brave face on. Jake, Amy, and Charles had pure terror in their eyes. It could have been a few different things: baking powder, flour, cocaine, or anthrax.</p><p>---</p><p>Things were not looking good. The box of powder had fallen out of Charles’s bag, and it certainly did not belong to him. The hazmat squad had shown up in minutes flat and had swiftly quarantined the floor, trapping in the Squad with forty-two criminals and civilians. Several other precincts had received similar packages in the not-so-distant past, and all three had just been baking powder; the hazmat squad had concluded that this was not baking powder. On the bright side, Hitchcock had been locked out and was stuck on the balcony. The Squad was sulking in the captain’s office. Jake was doing his best to run things, Charles was acting as Jake’s right-hand man, Amy was doing her best to keep things orderly, Rosa was waiting things out patiently, and Gina was staring out the window to the bullpen.</p><p>As usual, Charles had the highest hopes. Not only was it his precious “Turkey Day”, but Jake had also made him the second-in-command.</p><p>“I can’t wait to get home and eat that goose I’ve been waiting for all month! Once it’s stuffed and cooked, it’ll be as succulent as ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.” Charles looked around. “What were you guys going to do?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Jake said. He hated Thanksgiving because he held the pilgrims to be murderous bastards, and he really wasn’t wrong.</p><p>“I was going to have dinner with Teddy.” Teddy was Amy’s boyfriend. They’d been dating since the Tactical Village training exercise earlier that year.</p><p>“I was gonna get a drink and go home.” Rosa wasn’t too close with her family, and preferred to be alone anyway.</p><p>“Same. But now I’m going to die, and the last thing I’m ever going to hear is Charles saying ‘succulent’ over and over and over and over and over.” Gina was taking the situation the worst out of all of them, and it was making Rosa think.</p><p>“But how would I be saying ‘succulent’ if my tongue had fallen out?”</p><p>Gina groaned and curled into a ball on the couch.</p><p>Rosa responded harshly. “Charles! You’re scaring Gina.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Trying to fix his mistake, Charles only deepened the wound. “Just know that, if we do die, we’ll all die together.”</p><p>Gina screamed through gritted teeth. Rosa stood, towering over Charles. “Out.” She pointed to the door.</p><p>Charles’s face dropped. “But-”</p><p>“I said ‘OUT’, fuckface!” Rosa tore the door open and shoved Charles into the bullpen, slamming the door behind him. When she turned back, Jake and Amy were staring in shock. She sat back on the couch and rubbed Gina’s back. There came a sniffle from behind the mass of auburn hair, and Rosa dropped her fake tough-guy voice. “Hey, don’t cry. It’s gonna be okay.” Jake and Amy came closer, cooing softly and echoing the same reassurances. Rosa slowly edged closer, wrapping her arms around Gina, who unfurled into a sobbing mess. Rosa brushed aside the hair and held the side of Gina’s face, wiping away the tears with her thumb. “Hey. Look at me.” Reddened eyes stared back and Rosa smiled. “You can trust me.” Gina buried her face in Rosa’s chest, as Rosa ran her fingers through Gina’s hair.</p><p>“I’m going to die here.”</p><p>“No, you aren’t. I promise.”</p><p>“But what if it’s anthrax?”</p><p>“It wasn’t for the other three.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“So this is all just a big technicality. The hazmat squad is required to come in when white powder shows up in boxes, even if it just ends up being baking powder.”</p><p>“But this isn’t baking powder.”</p><p>“Then it might be something else, like flour or flecks of dried glue. Maybe even coke, if we’re lucky enough.” Gina laughed, and so did Rosa.</p><p>Gina reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic flower, the very same one Rosa had been wearing just a few short weeks ago. “I think this belongs to you.” She placed it behind Rosa’s ear, caressing the side of her face as she did so. “I’m sorry for everything I did. I know you’ve been avoiding me since the night I kissed you, and I’m sorry. It was so stupid of me.”</p><p>“Wait, you guys kissed?” Jake looked like he was experiencing several different emotions at once. “When?”</p><p>“The night you went undercover, Gina and Charles were really drunk, so me and the Sarge took them home. As I was tucking Gina in, she pulled me in and we kissed. I was really confused for a while, and things were starting to get better until the night after the Jimmy Jab Games, when we got really drunk and went back to Gina’s place. Nothing happened, but it really shook me up. I was just never sure if I was dealing with sober Gina or five-drink Gina. But I think I know now.” Rosa looked back at Gina. “You weren’t the stupid one; I was.”</p><p>Gina picked her head up and looked into Rosa’s eyes. “What are you saying?”</p><p>“I’m saying we could have started something a long time ago.”</p><p>They stared in silence for a minute before they moved in, sharing a kiss that was full of raw emotion. As they pulled back, tears began dripping from both their eyes, and they smiled sincerely at each other. Jake sniffled and Amy wiped a tear from her cheek. Taking him by the arm, Amy led Jake away, closing the blinds as they left the office.</p><p>“I feel like Ross when he found out about Chandler and Monica,” Jake whispered.</p><p>Rosa touched her forehead to Gina’s and embraced her, then rested her chin on Gina’s head. She continued to stroke the auburn hair, massaging her scalp as she did so. She felt Gina’s breathing steady, her head sinking deeper into Rosa’s chest. Before long, Gina was fast asleep, and Rosa shifted over so she could lay Gina’s head in her lap, reaching over to turn off the lights. She brushed away any stray hairs, looking down at the peaceful face. ‘Talk about a sleeping beauty,’ Rosa thought to herself. Taking Gina’s hand in her own, Rosa began to drift off, too. She wondered if it was a sleep that they would ever wake from.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa woke suddenly, not quite sure what had awoken her. The general and the clergyman were standing quietly in the far corner, looking over at her occasionally. Gina was still fast asleep in her lap, but Rosa found that she could not move or speak. Realizing that she was experiencing sleep paralysis, Rosa resigned herself to the dream. She watched on for a short while.</p><p>Eventually, the general spoke. “So, this concludes it?”</p><p>The clergyman nodded. “It does.” He turned and walked over to Rosa, bending over to meet her eye-to-eye. “Wake, my child.” He lightly tapped Rosa’s head.</p><p>The lights came on suddenly, and the two men vanished with the darkness. Rosa turned her head to find Holt in the doorway. Relief washed over her.</p><p>“Are we good?”</p><p>“It’s not anthrax.”</p><p>Gina stirred, wearily opening her eyes. “Am I dead?”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “Not even close.”</p><p>Gina sat up and looked at Holt. “Captain?”</p><p>“You’re both free to go.”</p><p>She looked over at Rosa, who nodded. They both rose and made their way out. Holt cracked a smile as he looked down at Rosa approvingly.</p><p>Packing their things, Rosa and Gina met at the gate. Rosa held it open as Gina walked through, following close behind. They entered the elevator together, and Gina hit the ground floor button. Standing in a flustered silence, Rosa felt the romantic energy crackling between them. She turned to Gina.</p><p>“You wanna grab a bite to eat?”</p><p>“Sure. I’m starving.”</p><p>“How about Crust?”</p><p>“Really? I thought you were loyal to the Flatbush Diner.”</p><p>Rosa shrugged. “I’m willing to try new things.”</p><p>“But how would we get there?”</p><p>“I’ll take you on my bike. I always keep a spare helmet in the side pouch.”</p><p>“You sound so cool when you call your motorcycle a ‘bike.’”</p><p>“That’s just the way I roll.”</p><p>Gina grinned once again, wrapping herself around Rosa’s arm. They left the elevator and walked proudly out to the street. Opening up the pouch, Rosa pulled out a white helmet and handed it to Gina. It was like they were yin and yang. They mounted the bike and Rosa revved the engine as Gina held on tight. Charles, who was a few yards up the street, turned at the sound of the engine, and his jaw dropped when he saw Gina at the back. They both flipped him off as they sped past, riding off into the depths of the city. Rosa was in love.</p><p>---</p><p>“It’s all an act, you know.”</p><p>“What is?”</p><p>Gina and Rosa sat in a booth at Crust, chowing down on warm slices of fresh apple pie. Gina took another bite of her slice before responding.</p><p>“The whole ‘phone-obsessed girl who worships Beyonce and sleeps with whoever she wants’ thing.” She shook her head. “I’ve never had a sensuous encounter with a guy named Mark. I don’t sleep with a bunch of bike messengers. They’re just lies I tell to build up the personality I’ve created for myself.”</p><p>“I can get that. I just try to repress my emotions so I can intimidate people into leaving me alone. And ‘dinner-then-bone’ isn’t my ideal date. I don’t even remember the last time I went out with someone.”</p><p>“I guess we aren’t so different after all.”</p><p>“I guess so.”</p><p>They returned to their pies and hot chocolate, enjoying them in silence. Once she was finished with her’s, Rosa sat back and loosened her muscles. She looked at Gina, who was still adorable as she inhaled her slice. At one point, Gina looked up and grinned.</p><p>“What are you looking at?”</p><p>“Your nose.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with my nose?”</p><p>“Nothing. It’s just kinda big. But in a good way.”</p><p>“I have never heard that said as a compliment.”</p><p>Rosa leaned forward. “I like it. It’s cute.” Gina giggled and blushed, and Rosa smiled. “It makes your voice kind of nasally, too, and it sounds pretty hot with the way you always talk through gritted teeth.”</p><p>“You’re so weird, Rosa. I think that’s why I like you, because we’re both weird.”</p><p>As they were fixated on each other, an old lady walked up to them.</p><p>“Excuse me?” They turned to her. “Are you lesbians?”</p><p>Rosa was the first to respond. “What’s it to you, granny?”</p><p>“Pardon my intrusion, but I just think you look so cute together.” She hobbled off.</p><p>Rosa and Gina looked at each other again. Rosa was pleasantly surprised. “Huh.”</p><p>“An old lady just called us ‘cute.’ We made a member of the most conservative demographic in America call a lesbian couple ‘cute.’” Gina seemed impressed with herself.</p><p>“Hell yeah, we did.” Rosa raised her hand, and Gina met it with her own.</p><p>Sighing, Gina sipped her cocoa. “We really should have started doing this earlier on.”</p><p>---</p><p>Turning the knob, Gina opened the door to her apartment. This was where Jake’s nana, and later Jake himself, had lived for many years. Jake and Gina had practically grown up in this apartment, and Gina now owned it for herself; Jake had moved out months ago, swapping apartments with Gina to save himself from crippling debt. This was also where Rosa and Gina had first kissed eight months ago.</p><p>Gina tossed her keys on the table and hung her jacket on the coat rack. “Thanks for walking me up.”</p><p>“No problem.” Rosa looked around, really taking it in this time. “You know, another old lady called me and Amy ‘Mexican lesbians’ a couple weeks ago.”</p><p>“That’s not surprising. What is surprising is that she’s dating a man. Those pantsuits were giving me a totally different vibe.”</p><p>“When I came out to her last week, she put her hands on mine and actually seemed kind of disappointed when I told her about us.”</p><p>“What, are you gonna start cheating on me with her?”</p><p>“She’s cute, but I could never hurt you.”</p><p>They hugged, and Gina looked up at Rosa. “She does have a pretty nice ass, though.”</p><p>“Are you kidding me? I wanna smack that thing every time she bends over.”</p><p>“Maybe we could invite her over sometime for a little fun.”</p><p>“Yeah. We could have a foursome with her and Cluttered Amy.”</p><p>“God, you're a genius.” They kissed, and Rosa felt Gina’s hand drifting down her back. “It’s not like you have anything better to do. Take a load off and stay a while.”</p><p>“Maybe I will.” They kissed again and Rosa slipped off her jacket, tossing it on the couch.</p><p>Just like last time, Gina pulled her to the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Rosa watched as Gina stripped down, revealing surprisingly muscular arms; it wasn’t like she worked out at the gym everyday, but she looked considerably athletic. Rosa figured it was the dancing. She pulled off her own shirt and Gina took care of the rest. Rosa embraced the slender form on top of her, reveling in the moment as their bare skin met. Her mind exploded in ecstasy at the first grind of Gina’s hips against her own, holding her by the waist as Gina sat up and held her down by the shoulders. Rosa exhaled, the stress of the day relieved as she and Gina consummated their love.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa woke to the muffled sounds of the city, sunlight pouring in through the cracked curtains. She looked down to find Gina, fast asleep, with her body pressed closely to her own. Rosa’s arms were crossed over Gina’s stomach, and their feet were intertwined. Rosa closed her eyes and pulled Gina close, resting for just a few more minutes.</p><p>They were both snapped back to reality by an alarm on the bedside clock, which Rosa blindly fumbled with until the beeping finally stopped. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking over at Gina afterwards. Gina always had dark circles under her eyes, and her current case of bedhead certainly completed the look.</p><p>“Good morning, beautiful.”</p><p>“Oh, stop it.” Gina leaned forward and kissed Rosa’s cheek. “You’re not too bad yourself.”</p><p>Hopping out of bed, they dressed themselves and cleaned up for the day. When Rosa came out of the bathroom, she was delighted to find that Gina had prepared buttered toast for the both of them, along with a cup of coffee for herself and a cup of tea for Rosa. She was surprised that Gina had even remembered that she drank tea instead of coffee, and her appreciation deepened. After breakfast, they grabbed their bags and helmets, walking down the stairs with their hands clasped. They got on Rosa’s motorcycle, Gina’s arms wrapped tight, and began the speedy ride to the 99.</p><p>As they exited the elevator, they held hands again and waited for the reaction they would get from the rest of the Squad. Jake, Amy, Charles, and Terry were huddled at the latter’s desk, looking up as the couple strode through the gate.</p><p>Rosa flicked her head. “What’s up?”</p><p>“What’s up? What’s up?” Jake waved his hands in their general direction. “My best friend and my honorary sister are in love!”</p><p>“Terry loves love!” The Sarge’s voice was a bit more high-pitched than usual.</p><p>Amy threw up her hands. “Not to brag, but I was the first to know that Rosa liked Gina. She clearly trusts me the most.”</p><p>“Actually, Holt was the first person I told. But I guess he did figure it out, then he told he knew, and then I confirmed it for him.” Amy’s grin wavered.</p><p>Charles noticed Gina’s helmet and gasped. “You have a helmet now! Does this mean it’s official?” He paused and thought. “Wait, did you guys spend the night together?”</p><p>“Perhaps,” Gina said.</p>

<p>Charles opened his mouth to speak again, but Rosa knew what question he was going to ask and gave him a look that maintained his silence.</p><p>Holt walked over from his office and removed his reading glasses. “Rosa, Gina. I am so glad to see that you are happy with each other. I have been rooting for you ever since I realized you had mutual romantic feelings. You must have dinner with me and Kevin sometime. This is a personal invitation from Ray Holt.”</p><p>Gina’s eyes lit up. “I gladly accept. A private dinner is something I take with great modesty. What do you say, babe?”</p><p>“Sounds cool.”</p><p>“Excellent. I will discuss it with Kevin.” With that, Holt returned to his office, leaving the Squad with gaping mouths.</p><p>Jake slowly turned to Rosa and Gina. “Whaaaaaaaaaaat?”</p><p>“Damn, you guys.” Amy looked certifiably impressed. “You go on one date and Captain Holt invites you to dinner with Kevin?”</p><p>“I guess we’re just that good.” Gina giggled and pulled Rosa along. Before they went to their desks, she pulled her in, kissing her long and hard. “Flatbush Diner, after work next Tuesday.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan.” Rosa looked over at the Squad, who was still staring. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Charles aimed his phone to do just that, dropping it when Rosa reached for her holster. Rosa and Gina went their separate ways, and the rest of the Squad dispersed. It was time to get to work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Busts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Energized by her new relationship with Gina, Rosa leads her Giggle Pig task force on a hot streak of drug busts, assisted by Sergeant Jeffords.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bag on her shoulder and helmet at her side, Rosa strode proudly into the bullpen. Last night, she and Jake (and Jack Danger of USPIS) had carried out a raid on a major Giggle Pig ring, securing a major victory for her task force. While there had been some friction between Jake and Danger in the beginning, they had been able to set aside their differences and make a big breakthrough. The dealers had been using decommissioned mailboxes to drop off the drugs, hence the joint operation with the great United States Postal Inspection Service. Rosa, with a task force and a drug bust under her belt, felt better than ever, not to mention her budding relationship with Gina; their third date was that night, and Rosa was confident. She set down her things and booted up her computer, then walked over to the breakroom for a quick snack. She was intercepted by Gina, who met her just outside the door.</p><p>“Hello, lover.”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “Hey.”</p><p>“I can’t wait for our date tonight.”</p><p>“Me too.”</p><p>Gina ran a finger down Rosa’s sternum. “You can tell me all about that big bust from last night, and then maybe you can tell me about a much bigger bust, if you catch my drift.” She winked, and they kissed. As they withdrew to examine each other’s faces, they turned their heads slowly towards Terry, who pretended to act like he hadn’t noticed them. Rosa flicked the shiny head. Terry jumped in his seat, and the two women continued into the breakroom.</p><p>Gina sat at the table, while Rosa went to fetch some things from the vending machine. Retrieving her wallet, Rosa slipped in the proper amount of quarters and punched in the desired numbers; a couple sodas and bags of chips would do just fine. Once she had the cans and bags, she returned to the table and slid Gina’s share across to her. She cracked open the Coke and took a sip.</p><p>“So, what happened yesterday? I was too busy with all that USPIS bullshit to pay attention to the rest of the precinct.”</p><p>“Well, Amy wanted to try and quit smoking cold turkey, but it just made her lash out, so I teamed up with Holt and Terry to help her overcome her addiction.”</p><p>“And how did that go?”</p><p>“It was a bumpy ride, to say the least. Terry tried dunking her head into a bucket of ice-cold water, but that just made her wet and weirdly kinda hot. Holt tried to get her to exercise, but she just ended up smoking in a portapotty. I tried to get her to meditate, which helped me get over my shopping addiction as a teen, but she just lit a cigarette with one of my candles. On the bright side, I did get Holt and Terry to say that they were powerful women.”</p><p>“I think that trumps all the failed attempts.”</p><p>“Easily. So, in the end, we just ended up wasting our time, not that I’m complaining or anything.”</p><p>“It’s nice that you tried to help, regardless.”</p><p>“I guess I’m just modest like that.”</p><p>Charles entered, stopping suddenly when he saw Rosa and Gina at the table. “Oh, am I interrupting something?”</p><p>Gina turned to him. “Every time you speak, you interrupt the peaceful flow of time.”</p><p>“We’re just having a snack. Do as you will.”</p><p>“It’s just that I thought you guys were building up to sex on the table, and I didn’t want to intrude.”</p><p>“Ew, no, Charles! Why would you possibly think that?” Gina’s face contorted in revulsion.</p><p>“I wouldn’t be lying if me and Vivian hadn’t snuck into the precinct a handful of times to… get busy.”</p><p>There was a pause. “Where did you do it, Charles? Did you do it in this very room?” He looked sheepishly over to Scully and Hitchcock’s couch, and Gina let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”</p><p>Rosa experienced a similar feeling, but her appetite had been ruined. “I can’t eat immediately after discussing Charles’s sex life.” She stood, and Gina mimicked her. They swiftly left, leaving Charles alone in the room. As they walked through the bullpen, Rosa whispered in Gina’s ear. “I’d be lying if I said that Charles hadn’t turned me away from men.”</p><p>“I can’t disagree.”</p><p>---</p><p>All known information was right there, laid out on a big cork board. Lines of string, held in place by tacks that Scully had likely once tried to drink in place of his coffee by accident, crisscrossed in a complex display like rails in a trainyard. There was everything from mugshots to addresses to maps, and the average civilian would have dismissed it as the ravings of some crazed conspiracy theorist. But not Rosa. She had built this board from the ground up, carefully crafting it as new information trickled in. The USPIS investigation had increased the size of the board to a nearly maddening degree, but it was all worth it if it meant that the task force was a necessity; Holt had a lot riding on it, and Rosa was not keen on letting him down.</p><p>She was adding the finishing touches on the board when Terry popped his head in.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa?”</p><p>“What is it, Sarge?”</p><p>“Some kids found an orange bag in a dumpster just a few streets to the south. It could be nothing, but it’s worth checking out.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>Terry hesitated. “Would you mind if I came along?”</p><p>“Not all.”</p><p>Terry smiled and nodded, turning on his heels to return to his desk.</p><p>Just a few short minutes later, they were cruising down the street, donning darks shades and blue NYPD jackets. Rosa was at the wheel, and Terry was squished into the passenger seat; he would have been worse off in the driver seat.</p><p>“So, how old are these kids?”</p><p>Terry thought back. “Somewhere in their mid-teens. One of them made the call.”</p><p>“Smart.” The brolic man nodded slowly, then grinned. “What?”</p><p>“So, you and Gina… you’ve only been on two dates, and you already seem kind of serious.”</p><p>Rosa scoffed. “How come the only thing anyone talks about is my romantic life?”</p><p>“Because we’re all so happy for you guys! It’s the first workplace romance in the precinct, too. Do you like her a lot?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do.”</p><p>“Then why didn’t you start dating sooner?”</p><p>“I didn’t make my feelings known because I was confused. But, now I know that her feelings are just as real as mine. We both like each other, and I just think we’re both excited to finally be together.”</p><p>“Well, that’s sweet.”</p><p>They pulled up to the building that the kids had identified as their residence. They both looked up as they stepped onto the curb, looking over the exposed wall. Rosa looked over to a set of parted curtains, which suddenly fell together when she looked up at them. She figured it was either the kids or the person responsible for the bag. As they entered, Terry reviewed the apartment number on his notepad. They were looking for Apartment 02B. The detectives ascended the staircase, turning their heads to read the numbers on the doors at the top. Rosa indicated that 02B was to the right, finding it almost instantly. She rapped at it with two hardy knocks, and a teenage girl responded after a moment. Her hair was dyed pink, and an oversized red sweatshirt covered her hands and waist.</p><p>Rosa showed her badge. “NYPD. We’re here about the bag.”</p><p>The girl smiled. “Oh, good. Please, come in.” She stepped aside, and Rosa and Terry did as they were asked to.</p><p>There was another girl sitting in a corner. Hair, dyed white, hung over her eyes and she seemed to be engulfed by a black sweater. This other girl remained silent, but watched from a distance. Rosa felt the unseen eyes on her.</p><p>The pink-haired girl got an orange bag from the dining table and brought it over. “I found this in the dumpster while I was throwing out the trash. I heard some kids at school talking about drugs in orange bags, and I thought this might be related.”</p><p>Rosa took the bag and looked it over. It was definitely the same design as the other bags, nothing more than a thin pouch with a drawstring. She nodded approvingly. “This is definitely one of them. Do you have any idea of where it might’ve come from?”</p><p>The pink-haired girl stirred, but it was the silent girl who responded. “Jeremy Wheeler. He lives upstairs.”</p><p>It was Terry’s turn to ask the questions. “Why do you think it might be him?”</p><p>“There’s always this one guy who he meets with on the curb every other night. It’s pretty shady. Wheeler always gives him one of those bags in exchange for some cash, and then he leaves. He’s got stubble on his face and dark rings under his eyes, and he always wears this stupid ball cap that he never takes off.”</p><p>Terry looked over to Rosa. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a lead.” He looked back at the girls. “You kids stay here. Detective Diaz and I will go investigate.” They turned and went back out to the hallway, hands on their holsters. “So, we’re looking for a disheveled guy with a baseball hat.”</p><p>“Should be simple enough.”</p><p>“Hopefully.”</p><p>They made their way up to the third floor as quietly as they could. The first door they knocked on was 03C, and a pale man answered. He had a bit of stubble on his face and dark rings under his eyes, but he wore a beanie instead of a baseball cap; plus, he didn’t seem at all phased by the cops at his door. A cigarette hung between his lips, and he seemed more tired than high. He informed them that he was not Jeremy Wheeler, but did tell them that the man-in-question lived just a few doors down in 03H. They thanked him and carried on, unclipping their holsters and unsheathing their sidearms. They stepped slowly, each taking a different end of the door. Rosa tapped her knuckles on the thin wood. A gruff voice came from the other side.</p><p>“Who is it?”</p><p>Rosa raised the pitch of her voice. “Postal service. I’ve got a package for Jerome Weller.”</p><p>The door opened up, and there stood Wheeler, just as the girls had described him; stubble was scattered on his jaw like a Wooly Willy toy, his eyes made it seem as if he hadn’t slept in a couple of days, and the brim of a Yankees cap hung over his forehead. The second he saw that Rosa wasn’t a mailwoman, Wheeler tried to slam the door in their faces and bolted, but Terry was quick enough to stop it. Rushing in, they found the perp rushing to open a window. Terry pulled him back and pushed him against the wall, throwing cuffs around his wrists. While the Sarge recited the Miranda rights for Wheeler, Rosa did a search of the apartment. The living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom were clear, meaning that there wasn’t anyone else in the apartment. In the latter of these rooms, Rosa opened the mirror to find a collection of orange bags in the medicine cabinet. She counted them out, and found there to be seven in total. Returning to the bedroom, she found a good few hundred bucks in the drawer of the bedside table. She reported back to Terry, pleased with her findings.</p><p>“There’s bags in the bathroom and cash in the bedroom. Looks like we got another dealer. You call CSI and keep an eye on Wheeler while I go tell the kids about the situation.”</p><p>“Right.” Terry nodded.</p><p>Rosa descended the stairs to the second floor, finding the silent girl waiting in the hallway with her back against the wall. When she noticed the approaching detective, she straightened her posture and stepped forward.</p><p>“Sounds like things got rough up there.”</p><p>“You were right. He tried to run when he came to his door, and we found drugs in his bathroom. You’ll have to make a formal statement at the station, so I suggest that you call your folks to tell them where you are. I’ll come get you and Strawberry Shortcake once CSI shows up to secure the scene.”</p><p>“Thank you, officer. I feel a lot safer already.”</p><p>“Good to hear.”</p><p>---</p><p>The pink-haired girl was Honey Aldrin, and the silent girl was her sister Tobi. Their parents were visiting relatives in Suffolk County for the day, but were driving back immediately. They thanked Rosa repeatedly for her service, and she could have sworn that the call had lasted until the 2020 elections. While Terry booked Wheeler, Rosa took the statements of the girls. As she had expected, Honey was the more outgoing of the two, while Tobi was quite reserved; thus, the report came almost entirely from one point-of-view. Once the statement was filled out and filed, the twins were dismissed to the waiting room, Rosa taking the time to prepare for Wheeler’s interrogation.</p><p>As she was reading through the necessary file, Amy strode up to her, arm swinging from rigid shoulders. Rosa looked up blankly.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa.”</p><p>“What do you want?”</p><p>“I just wanted to congratulate you on your second bust in twenty-four hours. You’re on a real hot streak.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“You know, sometimes I think that you’ll become captain before I do.” Amy laughed. “You know, because Holt gave you an entire task force.”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>Realizing the conversation was dead, Amy kept a forced smile and silently retreated. She was replaced by Terry, who was holding a hastily-assembled file.</p><p>“You ready?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Standing, Rosa took up the folder and walked with him to the interrogation room.</p><p>The concrete chamber was dimly lit, the observation window dark. Wheeler sat at the table, his wrists cuffed to it, with a look of pensive regret on his face. The detectives sat in the metal chair across from him, and Terry started things off.</p><p>“Hello, Wheeler. As you know, I am Sergeant Jeffords and this is Detective Diaz. We just have some questions about your role in the growing Giggle Pig market.”</p><p>“Is this one of those situations where I get time cut off my sentence if I’m compliant?”</p><p>“Perhaps.”</p><p>“Alright, then. Ask away.”</p><p>“Well, first off, how long have you been in business?”</p><p>“I started selling in mid-August, so almost four months.” Rosa clicked her pen and jotted down the information on her notepad. Wheeler looked at her for a second, then turned back to her superior officer.</p><p>Terry continued. “We have several witnesses who have regularly seen you meeting with a man in front of your building. According to these witnesses, you typically meet around 8:30 PM every other night to sell him a bag of Giggle Pig. If you could just give us a name, that would be very much appreciated.”</p><p>“Tom Ambrose Wilcox. He’s been buying from me for a while now. I charge him $250 a pop.”</p><p>“That seems like a lot of pills for one guy.”</p><p>“I think he pedals them off to other buyers, so I’d say I’m more of a middleman.”</p><p>“And where do you get the drugs from?”</p><p>“My business partner makes ‘em. His name is Percy Adler. We split the cost 50/50.”</p><p>“That’s pretty generous.”</p><p>“Adler’s a generous guy.”</p><p>Rosa thought about all the money the guy was raking in, and the frequency with which he was doing so. “Is this your main source of income?”</p><p>“Yeah. I quit my job at 7-Eleven a few weeks after I started selling for Adler.”</p><p>Taking a moment to think, Rosa began to peel back the skin. “What do you do aside from selling drugs?”</p><p>Wheeler shrugged. “I help Adler with the making of the drugs sometimes, but I don’t do much else. I like to consider myself a chill guy.”</p><p>“And what about relationships? Do you have any real friends, any romantic partners?”</p><p>“Not really, no. Me and my folks stopped talking after I dropped out of college, and I’ve been single since Mindy Geller dumped me in the tenth grade.” He grinned and gestured towards Rosa with his head. “How about you? What’s your situation?”</p><p>“I’m gay and taken.”</p><p>“Oh. My apologies.” His sincerity was a surprise, to be sure, but it was a welcome one. “In short, I don’t really have anything going for me. The Giggle Pig business is really the one thing I have in my life right now."</p><p>“We’ll have to confiscate the money you made from it, so I think it would be in your best interest to find a job as soon as you get out.” Terry almost seemed sympathetic. “You may even want to try to reconnect with your parents.”</p><p>It was the last part which got Rosa thinking. She would eventually have to tell her parents about Gina and, given that they were traditional Catholics, she didn’t expect that they would be too thrilled. Maybe she would just wait until things became really serious, then she could tell them. She’d have to do it sooner or later.</p><p>---</p><p>Tossing aside the towel, Rosa gently kissed Gina’s neck, slipping a hand behind her head and another behind her back. Gina put her own hands behind Rosa’s shoulders, breathing deeply in exhaustion. After a few moments, her breathing steadied and she spoke.</p><p>“Am I pretty?”</p><p>Rosa looked at her. “What?”</p><p>“Am I pretty?”</p><p>“What kind of question is that?”</p><p>“Whenever I look in the mirror, I see a girl with a big nose and dark bags under her eyes.”</p><p>“Come on, don’t think like that. You’re beautiful.” Rosa kissed her. “I think your nose is cute, and the dark rings really bring out the blue in your eyes.” Gina smiled, and Rosa lay down beside her. Gina snuggled up against her as she pulled up the covers.</p><p>“The sex is great, but I love the way you hold me.” There was a pause. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>Rosa was deep in thought, thinking back on her parents. “No, I was just thinking about something Terry said earlier. It’s nothing.”</p><p>“Alright. Sweet dreams, Rose.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Gene.”</p><p>Falling silent, they resigned themselves to the comfort of each other’s warm bodies, which they held close as they drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A Very Cuddly Quarantine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa is sick with a bad cold, and denies attempts by Terry and Gina to help her out. Fortunately for her, things take a turn for the better when she finally complies.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Head heavy with congestion, Rosa stomped into the briefing room as the task force was dismissed. There was a perp to talk with and she hoped to make this interaction swift, knowing that Terry wouldn’t let her work if she was sick. All she needed were the case files, and then she could be on her way.</p><p>“Ok, I have a perp in the interrogation room, and I need all the files-” Terry and Gina looked at her in shock.</p><p>“What’s going on, Diaz? Are you sick?”</p><p>“Do you have cholera? Is it typhoid?” Gina gasped. “Are you a vampire? My horoscope told me to wear a cowl neck, and I laughed! Is that why you like kissing my neck?”</p><p>“I’m fine. Diazes don’t get sick.” She coughed. “This is allergies.”</p><p>“No, that’s what killed the dinosaurs,” Terry stated with confidence. “Go home.”</p><p>“I can’t. That perp in there has the name of a Giggle Pig dealer and the task force needs a win.”</p><p>“At least let me buy you some matzah ball soup.” Rosa stared, the rings under her eyes giving them a more threatening look. “Well, I’m going to the deli anyway. Terry loves kreplach.”</p><p>As Terry left, Rosa took her chance and grabbed the files. She blew a kiss to Gina, who leaned away from her as she walked out.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Could you show me your teeth?”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Rosa took her leave and walked back to her desk. They were just making a mountain out of a molehill; this cold could be easily remedied with some warm tea and a few cough drops, both of which she had in her desk. Setting down the files, she took a moment to blow her reddened nose before starting with her preparations. It seemed to dislodge something in her throat, and she spat a clump of phlegm into her trash can. Scully and Hitchcock turned to her in confusion, but a prolonged and cold stare returned them hastily to their own matters. Rosa sat, unsure if she could make it through the day in such a state, but she had to interrogate the perp if she wanted to get more valuable information for the task force. She opened up the first file and began reading, wiping her nose one last time with her sleeve.</p><p>---</p><p>After the interrogation, Rosa was in need of a snack, so she stopped in the kitchen. As she opened up the fridge, she realized that she had forgotten to stock up on anything, and closed the door. Turning around, she found Terry coming over from the middle of the bullpen, a white container in his hands. Knowing that it would be no use to ignore him, Rosa stood her ground.</p><p>“Hey, what did you do to that perp? He’s claiming police brutality!”</p><p>“I didn’t touch him. I just coughed on him a couple of times.”</p><p>“Just let me help you. I’ll get your perp to talk. I can be very persuasive. I just negotiated my little girls down from a pony to a hamster.” He chuckled. “Little fools.”</p><p>“I don’t need your help because I am not sick. Gina, where’s the cold medicine?”</p><p>Gina came over from her desk, holding out two crossed pencils. “I hate to point out the obvious, but why do you need the meds if you’re not sick?”</p><p>Rosa took a bottle of liquid medicine from the cupboard. “To fight off the cold symptoms that my healthy body is exhibiting.” She chugged what little medicine remained. “I’m going back in there once once this crap dries my head up.”</p><p>Terry sighed, gesturing to a plastic bag on the table. “I got you some soup anyway.”</p><p>Reluctantly, Rosa reached out and took the bag. “I will accept this because I like soup.” She started walking to her desk.</p><p>“Demon,” Gina hissed.</p><p>“You’re the one who agreed to date me.”</p><p>Cracking open the paper lid, Rosa took a whiff of the warm soup. It did smell pretty good, and she was quick to sink her fork into one of the matzah balls. As she munched the meat and slurped the soup, the congestion melted away somewhat. Suddenly, Rosa started tapping her feet, her hands began to twitch, and her heartbeat picked up. Within a few minutes, it felt like she could have run around Yankee Stadium three times without breaking a sweat. Wondering where the energy had come from, she realized that it must have been the cold medicine. Taking advantage of this newfound energy, Rosa decided that she would take care of all her work right then and there.</p><p>Zipping around the bullpen on her chair, Rosa collected all the information she needed, adding folders to her pile as she rummaged through Jake and Amy’s desks; they were taking care of a convict transfer Upstate, and wouldn’t be back until the next afternoon. Then, after a while, she came across an interesting piece of information in a file from Jake’s desk. This would make a fine addition to her collection. She saw Terry at Gina’s desk and figured that she would inform him of this astounding discovery. Kicking off of Jake’s desk, she rolled smoothly across the floor.</p><p>“Hey! Hey, hey! Guess what? I got a new lead to ask my perp about; it’s this drug dealer on State Street.” A phone rang in the background and, shoving the files into Terry’s arms, she pushed off of the desk. “Woah! Why doesn’t someone answer that phone? Get it. I will get it.” It was coming from Hitchcock’s desk. She picked it up before its owner could. “Hello?”</p><p>A woman answered. “Hi, I’m looking for Michael. Is he there?”</p><p>“No. There’s no Michael here. You have the wrong number. Goodbye.” Rosa slammed the phone back on the receiver.</p><p>Hitchcock looked down at her. “I’m Michael!”</p><p>“That’s a dumb name, but it’s yours and you should be proud of it because you’re the greatest detective I’ve ever known.”</p><p>“No doy, Diaz. No doy.”</p><p>Kicking off the desk, she continued her quest for knowledge. “Where is my file?” She found herself at Terry’s desk, and flipped through some of the files on it.</p><p>After a few more minutes, Rosa elected to move forward with the information she had gathered. As she was walking to the hallway, she called over an officer.</p><p>“McBrady!”</p><p>“Yes, detective?”</p><p>“I need you to start piecing this together on an evidence board while I interview a perp. I want this done doubleplusquick!”</p><p>“Sure thing. Oh, and what should I do about Nicholas Moss?”</p><p>“The smuggler? Just hold him for a bit longer. I’ll get around to interrogating him.”</p><p>There came a whisper from the hall. “Rosa! Come here, I’ve gotta tell you something. It’s a secret.”</p><p>Rosa looked over; the call had come from Gina. “Okay, but I have a lot of stuff to do!” She slapped the file into McBrady’s hands and walked over to the hall, Gina ushering her towards a door. “What’s the secret? What’s the secret? What’s the secret?” She hardly noticed the big rubber gloves.</p><p>“Here it is.”</p><p>A hand shoved her, and she heard the door shut. “Gina! Let me out of here! I’ve gotta talk to my perp!”</p><p>Gina pressed a finger on the glass window. “Shh.” Rosa watched in frustration as she walked away, leaving her in a locked closet.</p><p>The pounding lasted for a few minutes, losing power with every strike as the effects of the cold medicine began to wane. Rosa retreated to a small couch, taking advantage of the quiet darkness. She lay down and rested her head against the arm, dozing off as the cold sapped what little energy she still had left.</p><p>---</p><p>Vlad held onto his kippah as his steed, Arlo the Triceratops, galloped into town. It was three minutes to 32:56 PM, and he didn’t want to be late to his nephew’s bar mitzvah. As the moon beat down on him, he popped open his blood bottle and took a nice long sip. The present he had bought for his nephew, the highly popular MechaDrac, had cost him dozens of shekels, but he knew that it would make him the star of the party.</p><p>Arlo’s large feet pounded on the pavement as he plodded down the empty street, the plateaus rising high in the sandy distance. Salt Lake City wasn’t the biggest or busiest city in the region, but it was certainly the center of New Israel, and Vlad enjoyed riding up from Aztlan to visit his family. They would always joke about how Arlo was the fastest triceratops east of the Mississippi, even considering the lizard to be a part of the family.</p><p>Turning onto State Street, Vlad was confident that they would make it.</p><p>“Gwarsh, Vlad. Are we even gonna be there on time?”</p><p>“Just barely, Arlo. Keep up the pace.”</p><p>The lights from the venue were visible in the distance. As Arlo began to slow down, Vlad prepared to disembark. Suddenly, the dinosaur coughed and listed to the right. Losing his balance, Vlad tumbled onto the road, the MechaDrac crushed as it was squashed under his weight. Arlo came to a gradual stop, and Vlad jogged up to see what was wrong.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>“It’s just allergies, partner.” He sounded congested and coughed again. “I think I’m allergic to some of those cactus flowers.”</p><p>Vlad rubbed Arlo’s head. “Take all the time you need. I can walk from here, so go find yourself a garage to rest in.”</p><p>“Thanks. Tell Nick that I wish him a happy 13th birthday.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>Vlad turned to retrieve the toy, but realized that it was ruined and turned back towards the venue. He noticed that Arlo was sitting silently in the middle of the street.</p><p>“Arlo? Partner?” The dinosaur’s eyes were dark. Vlad stumbled back in horror, looking up to the sky with his fists stretched at his sides. “Nooooooooooo!”</p><p>---</p><p>The dark room slowly came into view as Rosa blinked herself awake, the dream already hazy in her head. She sat up and looked around. How long had she been asleep? She rubbed her neck and stood up, trying the door handle, only to find that it was locked.</p><p>“This is ridiculous.” Rosa retracted her fist into her sleeve and pulled back her arm.</p><p>With a solid punch, Rosa’s blanketed fist shattered the pane of glass that stood between her and the rest of the precinct. Gina and Terry screamed as she reached through the empty frame to turn the external knob.</p><p>“Oh, look, it’s Rosa! You look great, babe. Please don’t kill me.”</p><p>“I’ll handle you once I’m done with that perp.”</p><p>“I already interrogated him for you,” Terry said. “I got him to name his Giggle Pig supplier. It’s all good. Now, go home and get some rest.”</p><p>“I could’ve done it myself, you dingus.”</p><p>“You have literally been in a coma since yesterday. I know you need help, even though you act like you don’t. We all need help sometimes; I ask five dudes to spot me when I do my squats.”</p><p>Gina interjected. “Terry paid me $20 to lock you up.”</p><p>“I certainly did not.”</p><p>“But I took that cheddar and made this ‘Rosa’s Gonna Make This Cold Her Bitch’ care package.” She produced a box, complete with tissues, medicine, and hot chocolate packets.</p><p>Rosa looked down at the box, a small smile breaking on her face. “Thanks, Gina. You’re a great girlfriend.”</p><p>Gina tilted her head. “Aww! That’s the first time you’ve called me your ‘girlfriend.’”</p><p>“Hm. I guess it is.”</p><p>“Now, go! Get better. I’ll be waiting.” She winked and blew a kiss.</p><p>Smiling, Rosa walked back to the bullpen to collect her things. Maybe they were right; she needed a day off, anyway.</p><p>---</p><p>The next morning, Rosa was awoken by the ringing of her phone, the RoboCop theme shattering her peaceful sleep. Who was calling her at 5:32 in the morning? She pressed the green button and brought the phone to her ear.</p><p>“What do you want?”</p><p>Gina’s voice was more nasally than usual. “You got me sick, Patient Zero.”</p><p>“What am I supposed to do about that?”</p><p>“Come over and keep me company. I don’t have anything to do.”</p><p>“You seem content using your phone all day.”</p><p>“Yeah, but that’s because I’m usually blowing off actual work. Look, I’m gonna take the day off, and you’re already sick, so why not just hang around with your girlfriend for a day or two? Think of it as our first romantic getaway.”</p><p>Rosa thought for a moment. Sighing, she conceded. “Alright. I’ll be there soon.”</p><p>“Good. Love you.”</p><p>“Love you, too.”</p><p>Pressing the red button, Rosa swung her legs over the side of the bed, wearily pushing herself up. Grabbing her bathrobe, slippers, toothbrush, and some tea bags, she filled her backpack and threw on her jacket. She locked the door as she left, having checked all the windows first. The halls were quiet and empty, but the lights were still on to illuminate the way. She descended the stairs, meeting the receptionist halfway down.</p><p>“Good morning, Ms. Diaz.”</p><p>“Hey, Lance.”</p><p>“Where are you off to so early?”</p><p>“Me and my girlfriend are both sick, so I’m staying with her for a bit.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Get well soon!”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>As she approached the doors, Rosa zipped up her jacket and prayed that it would be enough of a defense against the December chill; it wasn’t. Rosa pushed through the cold to her bike, turning it on and equipping her helmet, then pulled onto the silent street. She drove as fast as she could without breaking the limit, hoping to arrive before the frostbite set in. In that moment, she realized that she had never brought Gina back to her place, but that they always went to Gina’s apartment. Sometimes, Rosa was reluctant to return to her own home, as everything private and intimate she had done with Gina had been in that apartment, from their first kiss to the first time they slept together, and now they would be spending a few days there without another soul. Maybe she would ask about the prospect of moving in at some later point, but they had only been on four dates thus far, and Rosa didn’t want to make it seem like she was taking things too fast. Then, a second thought came into her head: she and Gina had just said that they loved each other. A few days alone didn’t seem so bad all of a sudden.</p><p>Gina answered the door after about a minute, wearing a fluffy bathrobe and slippers. The rings under her eyes were darker, almost ebony.</p><p>“You said that you love me.” Rosa kept her flat composure as she spoke.</p><p>“And you said it back.” Gina kissed her, but seemed perturbed. “You’re as cold as ice.”</p><p>“But I’m not willing to sacrifice our love.”</p><p>Sighing, Gina grinned. “You are easily the smarter one in our relationship.” Entering the apartment, Rosa placed her bag by the couch and hung up her jacket, replacing the latter with her bathrobe. “Come on, don’t be such a prude.” Gina opened her robe, revealing her naked body. “There’s no one here but us.”</p><p>“If you say so.” Doing as instructed, Rosa discarded her t-shirt and sweatpants. “Better?”</p><p>“Much better.” Gina walked over to the kitchen and returned with two cups of hot chocolate. “How about we take these mean girls and go cuddle for a bit?”</p><p>“‘Mean girls?’”</p><p>“I figure it’s the feminine version of ‘bad boys.’”</p><p>Rosa took a mug. “Let’s go.”</p><p>Together, they retreated to the bedroom, setting their hot mugs on the bedside table and huddling in a mass of warmth and fleece.</p><p>“This is nice. We never just get to relax. Our dates are always just eat-fuck-sleep because we have work the next morning, but a day off feels so liberating, like we can really enjoy each other’s presence.”</p><p>They stared out the window, waiting for the Sun to peek up from behind the cityscape. “If I really were a vampire, I would’ve bitten you a long time ago.” Rosa kissed Gina’s neck. “Because then you would become a vampire, too.”</p><p>“And vampires live forever.”</p><p>“Exactly. Sometimes, I feel like we’re taking things too fast, but then I remember it’s just because we’ve known each other for so long. This place already feels more like home than my apartment ever has, because this is where our romance was born.” Gina turned to look at her, sincerity on her face. “I love you, Gina Linetti. I mean it.”</p><p>They stared in silence for a few seconds. A smile cracked across Gina’s face. “I taught Rosa Diaz how to love.” She nuzzled her head into Rosa’s chest. “You’re moving in as soon as this cold blows over.”</p><p>Rosa’s heart skipped a beat or two. Only a few weeks of dating, and they were already this far along. Within two months time, they’d probably be engaged, not that Rosa was scared of the idea. She was reminded that she would have to come out to her parents at some point in the future, but pushed the thought to the back of her mind and pulled Gina closer. It was time to cuddle and drink hot cocoa.</p><p>That first day was a lazy one, occupied with beverages and romance movies; Rosa had insisted that they watch Something’s Gotta Give, but Gina forced her to watch all five Twilight movies, an endeavor which occupied most of their day. They snacked on little things until dinner, which consisted of chicken noodle soup from a nearby deli and some of the chamomile tea Rosa had brought. It was thankfully uneventful, and Rosa was glad that their relationship could thrive off of something other than sex.</p><p>The second day picked up a bit. Rosa got her revenge by watching Something’s Gotta Give and RoboCop, but also agreed to watch Mean Girls, Bad Boys, and Die Hard. The day was concluded with Linetti spaghetti (a traditional family recipe from Lombardy) and a game of Monopoly, followed up by a hot and steamy shower.</p><p>They were both back to normal by the third day, taking the weekend to begin moving Rosa into Gina’s apartment. While she was sad to let her apartment go, it had never been much more than the place she slept and kept all her stuff. She was just happy that she was going to live with the woman she loved, and that was all that mattered to her. Fortunately, Gina allowed her to keep even her most dangerous weapons, and she was grateful that her precious collection would remain unharmed by the move; Rosa also found out that Gina already had a gun license and a pocket pistol, which made her love her even more. By Sunday, Rosa was a fully integrated member of the Linetti household.</p><p>---</p><p>As they walked into the 99 after a long weekend, the Squad seemed to notice the bounce in Rosa and Gina’s synchronized steps. Biting his lip in a grin, Jake strode up to them as they entered the bullpen.</p><p>“There’s the happy couple! How was your long weekend together?”</p><p>Gina, always the talkative one, recounted their experience. “Well, we spent the first couple of days cuddling and watching movies, playing board games, and eating home-cooked meals.”</p><p>“Did you make Linetti spaghetti?”</p><p>“You know I did.” Jake nodded as if he were remembering the taste of the buttered rice and pasta. “As for the weekend, well…” She looked up at her girlfriend and roommate. “Rosa moved in with me.”</p><p>Jake gasped, the wind seemingly knocked from his lungs. “It’s happening! My best friends are gonna spend the rest of their lives together!”</p><p>Rosa tightened her grip on Gina’s hand. “That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.”</p><p>Jake stood in silence for a few seconds before throwing his arms around them both. “Watching your relationship blossom is ten times better than snorting cocaine.”</p><p>“That implies that you’ve snorted cocaine before,” Gina stated.</p><p>“I may have accidentally inhaled some once in the evidence room.”</p><p>“Of course you did.” She sighed.</p><p>With broad steps and her chest pridefully puffed out (as it always was), Amy came over from her desk. “You guys are moving pretty fast. Haven’t you only been on four dates?”</p><p>“We’re only, like, fifteen feet away from each other all day, and we go on mini dates in the breakroom during lunch.” Rosa gestured with her head. “The vibe is different since we don’t bone afterwards, but I love them just as much as our real dates.”</p><p>“Aww.” Amy tilted her head. “That’s so romantic! You never cease to surprise me, Rosa.”</p><p>“What can I say? Being with Gina makes me a better person.”</p><p>“And to think you were always at her throat just a few short months ago.”</p><p>“I still am, if you know what I mean.”</p><p>“Oh, how saucy.” Gina giggled as Rosa kissed the back of her neck.</p><p>Terry looked up from his desk. “Are you guys still doing that whole ‘Rosa-is-a-vampire’ thing? Cuz it’s kinda freaking me out.”</p><p>“Deal with it.”</p><p>“Yeah, deal with it, Sarge.” Jake scoffed.</p><p>Carrying on to her desk, Rosa thought. It’d only been a couple of weeks since their first date, but she knew Gina was the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Phoenix City</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things with Gina are better than ever, but Rosa is still plagued by thoughts of her parents and how they'll react to her homosexuality.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Doug Judy was back, and in a big way.</p><p>Earlier that morning, Jake and Rosa had been waiting to catch a perp along his usual route, information which was supplied by a criminal informant. While Rosa sat in a nearby alleyway, Jake had posed (rather poorly) as a charity Santa, donation bucket and bell in hand. Lo and behold, it turned out that Judy was the perp in question, and the ensuing chase had resulted in the combustion of more than a few Christmas trees. Once they were back at the precinct, Judy agreed to cut a deal, providing information on a local Giggle Pig ring in exchange for a reduced sentence. Jake had been adamant that they not take the deal, but Rosa needed the information in order to keep her task force going.</p><p>Now, she was conferring with Jake and Holt behind the observation window.</p><p>“All right. Before we make a deal with this… evil monster,” Jake gestured to Judy, who was dancing in his seat. “Can I just ask something? Is Giggle Pig really that important?”</p><p>Holt responded swiftly and effectively. “My job, Rosa’s job, and the fate of this entire precinct all depend upon the outcome of this task force.”</p><p>“All right, fine.”</p><p>“Diaz, what’s our status right now?”</p><p>“We’ve picked up a bunch of dealers, but our main target is Tito Ruiz. We believe he runs the whole operation, only we can’t prove it because none of his people will turn on him. Just because he bit off a few noses.” Rosa shook her head. “Babies,” she muttered.</p><p>“I say that the only way we can cut a deal with Judy is if he can give us the top guy, Tito Ruiz.” Jake made a fair point.</p><p>Holt nodded. “Then it’s settled. Let’s go see what we can get out of him.”</p><p>Together, the trio marched into the interrogation room, towering over Doug Judy like a council of stone-cold judges. Holt and Rosa sat at the table, but Jake elected to stand.</p><p>“Here’s the deal, Judy: we’ll only cut a deal with you if you can give us Tito Ruiz.”</p><p>“I can give you Tito Ruiz.” Rosa was listening now.</p><p>“Oh, come on, Judy! I mean, how do we even know this is real? This guy’s a huckster! He’s a… lie guy!”</p><p>“Peralta has a point.” Holt leaned forward in his chair slightly. “You have been a lie guy to us before.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Jake whispered.</p><p>Holt continued. “Give me some details.”</p><p>“Ruiz and I were cellies in Attica in the ‘90s. He texted me last week. Needs some cars to deliver his product. I said ‘No,’ because drugs are stupid.” He looked over at Rosa. “Except for weed and sex pills. A man has needs.” He began singing Rosa’s name, just like he had last time, in some unsuccessful attempt to woo her. Rosa maintained a flat face, knowing that he was in for a real treat.</p><p>Slamming his hand on the table, Holt interrupted the breathy tune. “Enough crooning! Can you get us a face-to-face with Ruiz?”</p><p>“Yeah, but you gotta give me zero jail time.”</p><p>“No, that’s not gonna happen.”</p><p>Unable to contain his inner thoughts, Jake cackled. “Ha ha! Stupid Judy!”</p><p>“The DA, however, will offer a reduced sentence in return for Ruiz’s arrest. Five years, instead of twenty.”</p><p>Judy nodded. “Oh, that’s tough, but fair.” He looked up Jake. “I can see why you have such intense daddy stuff with him.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, the one without a dad is the one with daddy issues.” Jake scoffed. “Explain that logic.” Rosa just felt bad for him sometimes. She wasn’t close with her own father, but maybe she had been taking him for granted.</p><p>“Since I’m going to jail, I wanna enjoy my time left on the outside. Put me up in a five-star hotel, like the Royce. Unlimited room service and minibar privileges.”</p><p>“Three-star hotel, like the Brooklyner. $60-a-day meal allowance and no minibar.”</p><p>“Four-star hotel, like the Oneida. $200 in food, no minibar or alcohol, but I get to go crazy on candy and nuts.”</p><p>“Agreed.” Holt was quite the negotiator, as was Judy.</p><p>The Pontiac Bandit yelped in excitement. “Oh, and one last thing: Diaz has to be nice to me. I want her to call me ‘Big Sugar.’”</p><p>Jake laughed. “Huge mistake, bud. She’ll never agree to that.”</p><p>Jake was wrong. Rosa desperately needed to arrest Ruiz, and, if this was the way to do it, then she would agree without hesitation. “No, I’m in. Let’s do this, Big Sugar.” Judy gasped in amazement.</p><p>“All right, fine! If this is going down, I wanna be on this case. And my sole focus is Doug Judy. He never leaves my sight.”</p><p>“I love it! Pontiac Bandit and Jake! PB&amp;J ride again!” Judy resumed his singing, but Rosa knew she would have to put up with it if she wanted Ruiz. When Jake failed to sing, Judy tried to appeal to him. “It’s a duet! Get in on this!”</p><p>Jake muttered a few of the words under his breath, but managed to withstand the pressure otherwise. “No! No!” He stormed out, leaving Judy with Holt and Rosa.</p><p>Judy turned back to Rosa. “I guess that means it’s just you and me, Detective Diaz.”</p><p>“So it would seem.”</p><p>“You know, it’s a shame that I’m going to prison after this. Maybe we can get to know each other. You might like what you find.”</p><p>“Well, actually, Detective Diaz is-” Rosa cut Holt short by kicking his leg under the table. He stared at her for a few seconds, then seemed to realize what she was thinking.</p><p>“Detective Diaz is what?”</p><p>“Detective Diaz is… not busy after work today. We are having a celebratory gathering at Shaw’s Bar.”</p><p>“Sounds lit. I’ll try to stop by.”</p><p>“Just try not to fly the coop this time around.”</p><p>“You have my word, Rosa.”</p><p>---</p><p>Once all their things were gathered and they were ready to head out, Rosa and Jake collected Judy. Jake was decked out in an elaborate disguise, while Rosa and Judy looked fine in their typical attire. As they were approaching the gate, Gina called out.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>She grinned. “Hey.”</p><p>Stopping in front of her girlfriend, Gina looked her companion up and down. “Doug Judy. You’re shorter than I expected.”</p><p>“I’m sorry. Who are you?”</p><p>“Regina Linetti.” She dangled out her hand, and Judy shook it lightly.</p><p>“What did you need me for, Gina?”</p><p>“Well, it’s usually just me and my mom during Christmas, so I was wondering if you could come have brunch with her. I think it’d be a great time for you to bond.”</p><p>Rosa wrapped her arms around Gina’s form, knowing full well that Doug Judy was watching. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my love.” She embraced her in a long and tender kiss, one that left Gina in a state of apparent euphoria.</p><p>She caressed the side of Rosa’s face. “I’ll go tell her to set the table for three on Christmas.” Spinning on her heels, she strode back to her desk, and it was a sight that Rosa made sure to take in.</p><p>She turned back to a teary-eyed Jake and a slack-jawed Judy. “Shall we?” Silence. She clapped her hands repeatedly in front of their faces, finally snapping them out of their trances.</p><p>Sniffling and wiping his eyes, Jake nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”</p><p>Doug Judy remained in shock. “Woah.”</p><p>“You feel like singing to me now?”</p><p>All he could do was stammer. “You guys look like you’re pretty serious. How long have you been together?”</p><p>“We’ve known each other for about ten years, but we only started dating a couple weeks ago. The day after Christmas is our one-month anniversary, but I moved in just this past weekend.”</p><p>Once the elevator doors closed, Jake burst into tears. Judy leaned over to Rosa. “What’s his problem?”</p><p>“Gina’s been like a sister to him since they were toddlers, and he’s the closest friend I have, so our relationship overloads his emotional capacity.”</p><p>“Oh, so you two are like Monica and Chandler, and Peralta is like Ross.”</p><p>“That’s exactly what I said!” Jake spoke through his tears, his voice likely roughened by a lump in his throat. He furiously wiped his face with a sleeve, composing himself as the doors opened.</p><p>They walked out to the lobby and then to the street, ready to take Ruiz down. While Jake walked around the hood to the passenger side, Judy stopped to talk with Rosa.</p><p>“I’m sorry if the things I said made you uncomfortable.”</p><p>“It’s okay. You didn’t know.”</p><p>They climbed into the car. Rosa turned on the engine and stepped on the gas, heading for the arranged meeting place.</p><p>---</p><p>Things went pretty much just as Rosa had expected. While they had been successful in bringing down Tito Ruiz and his ring, they had only been able to do so because Jake had sacrificed the opportunity to stop Doug Judy from escaping. The Pontiac Bandit was free once more, and it would probably be ages until their paths crossed again, if ever. She’d checked a few times in the hours after his escape, but had nothing to show for it.</p><p>After receiving a toast from Holt and the rest of the Squad, Rosa sat down beside a sulking Jake.</p><p>“Hey. I’ve done a few checks, but Doug Judy still hasn’t resurfaced.”</p><p>“Yeah, he has. He just sent me this.” Jake opened the laptop in front of him and pressed the spacebar.</p><p>The video was a message from Doug Judy. “‘Sup, Peralta? Greetings from paradise! Actually, I’m a little disappointed in the hotel. How do you mess up an omelette? It’s just a flat egg.”</p><p>Jake sped through the video. “He pretty much just talks about the omelette for the next ten minutes.” He hit the spacebar again.</p><p>“About my escape. This is my associate, Kyle.” Judy turned the camera to reveal an all-too-familiar face. Kyle waved. “He drove the garbage truck. You may also remember him as the room service waiter who I had you tip so generously.”</p><p>“Son of a bitch!”</p><p>“Yeah. When we ordered the lobster, it was code for Kyle to follow him.”</p><p>The video continued. “Anyway, tell Rosa that I am so happy for her and your sister. Merry Christmas!” With that, Jake shut the laptop.</p><p>“First things first: I swear to you that we’re gonna catch Doug Judy.”</p><p>“Yup. I know.” He nodded. “We did it once, we can do it again.”</p><p>“No.” Rosa repeated herself. “We will catch him. More importantly, thank you. I know how hard it was to make that choice and let him get away.”</p><p>“No, it was an easy call. I know how much this task force means to you.”</p><p>Buckling under the excitement, Rosa couldn’t help but grin. “It means so much, and it’s been so stressful, and it went so well! Seriously, look at me: I can’t stop smiling.” She tried as hard as she could, but her lips were locked in that most painful position. “How does Gina do this all day?”</p><p>“Because I love you.” As if out of thin air, Gina appeared on the stool next to Rosa.</p><p>“Speak of the Devil.” She pecked Gina on the nose.</p><p>“I must say, you look very…” Gina’s eyes darted to Jake, then back to Rosa. “Attractive in that turtleneck.”</p><p>“And you look very cute in that sweater.”</p><p>They both looked at Jake, who was biting his lip yet again. After a few silent seconds, he slowly retreated to talk with Terry.</p><p>“I just came over to congratulate you on your big bust. Everything’s coming up Rosa!”</p><p>“Thanks.” She inspected the bottle in her hand, picking at the label with an intact smile. “Things really have been great recently, with the task force and our relationship both doing so well. I feel like I’ve really hit my stride.”</p><p>“Oh, I feel so jealous. Or at least I would, if I didn’t have such a large internet following.”</p><p>“I guess we’re even, then.”</p><p>Slinking her arm around Rosa’s shoulder, Gina whispered in her ear. “I’ve been saving a bottle of red Lombardia, all the way from the motherland, and I think that this is just the right moment to open it.” Subtly, she groped Rosa’s breast. “How about we get this party started?”</p><p>“I like the sound of that.” Rosa looked across the room to Holt, who was surveying the room in his typically stone-cold fashion. “Let’s stick around for at least twenty more minutes, just so that we don’t seem rude by leaving too early.”</p><p>“Fine.” Slumping in her stool, Gina signalled for Hank to supply her with a beer, which he did without a word. She cracked it open and took a big gulp.</p><p>And so, they waited, conversing with colleagues and loitering by the bar. Rosa received praises from Charles, Amy, and Terry, accepting their compliments modestly, all while Gina continuously peeked at the time on her phone. When Holt pulled her aside, Amy took the chance to speak with Rosa alone.</p><p>“Hey, Rosa.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Gina looks pretty anxious about something. Is everything okay with you guys?”</p><p>“Yeah, she just wants to go home and have drunk sex, but I told her that we should stay here for a bit.”</p><p>“Oh.” Amy loosened her legs. “Speaking of, I’m feeling kinda tipsy myself.”</p><p>“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes.”</p><p>She sighed. “I know.”</p><p>There was a pause. “Are you attracted to me, Amy?”</p><p>“What? Ha! I’m not, no. I’m not a lesbian.”</p><p>“But you are bisexual, aren’t you?” Another pause. Amy looked down at her feet, and Rosa placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can talk to me.”</p><p>“Okay, fine. Maybe I am somewhat attracted to other women. And maybe I do have a little crush on you.”</p><p>Rosa smirked. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And, to be completely honest, you do have a pretty nice ass.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>They were interrupted by Holt and Gina, who both stood tall and proud.</p><p>“What’s up, Gene?”</p><p>“Captain Holt has invited us to have dinner with him and Kevin next week, and I have gladly accepted.”</p><p>“Sounds cool. I look forward to it, Captain.”</p><p>“Good to hear. Kevin will be quite pleased.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, this one has a lot of work to do, task force and all.” Gina pulled on Rosa’s arm. “We should probably get going.”</p><p>“Ah, yes, so you can go have ‘crazy drunken sex’ with your girlfriend.” Holt nodded. “You made that quite clear.”</p><p>Chuckling, Gina dragged Rosa away. “Seeya.” As she was escorted to the door, Rosa nodded to Amy, who nodded in return.</p><p>---</p><p>“So, Amy really said she likes you?” Gina opened the fridge to retrieve the bottle of Lombardia.</p><p>“Yeah, but just a little. I think she leans more towards men, but she is definitely attracted to women.” Rosa got a couple of wine glasses from the cupboard.</p><p>“You see? A single pantsuit says a thousand words.”</p><p>She smirked. “I guess you were right.”</p><p>“I’m always right, baby.”</p><p>Plopping themselves down on the couch, Gina poured the wine and Rosa pulled over the blanket. As she set the bottle down on the coffee table, Gina snatched up the remote, turning on the TV and began sifting through the movies. She settled on Love Actually.</p><p>“Nice choice.”</p><p>“It fits the season.” Gina looked over at her lover. “And the mood.” They clinked glasses. “I’m proud of you, Rosa.”</p><p>“Thanks, babe.”</p><p>“I mean it. You’re knocking down those dealers like dominoes.”</p><p>“I don’t deserve all the credit; I couldn’t do it without the help of my dedicated team.”</p><p>“Oh, save it for the medal ceremony.” Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder, holding her free hand.</p><p>Resting her head on Gina’s, Rosa let the world slip away, focusing on nothing but the TV, her wine, and her girlfriend. Everything really was coming up Rosa.</p><p>---</p><p>Waking up with heavy eyelids and a pounding head, Rosa realized she was staring down the neck of an empty wine bottle. Her head sat on Gina’s thighs, which were just as soft and smooth as they ever were. Gina was still wearing her sweater, but nothing else. She stirred, arms wrapped around her own torso, and looked down at Rosa.</p><p>“What a night.” She ran her fingers through Rosa’s mangled hair, in which sat a certain plastic flower.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>They looked around. The wine bottle was bone dry, the blanket was clumped up at Rosa’s feet, and Gina’s pants hung from the corner of the coffee table. Sitting up, Rosa rubbed her eyes and stood, stumbling over to the window. She only opened the curtains an inch, but the light was enough to send her reeling back onto the couch. She sighed.</p><p>“Looks like we’ll be needing some shades today.”</p><p>“I assume you already have a stockpile.”</p><p>“You know me too well.”</p><p>Cleaning themselves for the day ahead, they made sure to equip themselves with sunglasses and ear plugs to combat their sensitivity to light and sound, two things which were very abundant on a weekday morning in the middle of a large metropolis. Unfortunately, the ear plugs did little against the roar of the motorcycle engine, and Rosa’s headache had worsened fivefold by the time they reached the 99. Charles was the first to approach them.</p><p>“You two left in quite a hurry last night.”</p><p>Gina’s sharp nails hovered centimeters in front of his face, fingers bent like a talon. “Shhhhhhh. Your high-pitched squawking is not needed at the present moment.”</p><p>“Oh, you guys are hungover, huh?”</p><p>“We are not hungover.” Rosa wavered ever so slightly on her legs. “We just drank so much wine that we now have headaches and feel like passing out on the cold floor.”</p><p>Nodding slowly, Charles shut his eyes to think. “I may be able to help with that. You see, the Boyles have an old hangover cure that is quite simple to make. All you need is a goat bladder-”</p><p>He was quickly stopped by Gina. “If it comes from the Boyle family, I will not so much as consider the possibility of allowing it within a 10-foot radius of my body. Besides, I already have an idea of how we can beat this thing. Come along, dearest.”</p><p>“Must you pull me everywhere by the arm?”</p><p>In their painful stupor, Rosa and Gina made their way to the stairs, descending them to one of the deepest levels. Rosa knew where they were going: Babylon, a secluded and secret refuge that she and Gina had established long ago in the bathroom of an abandoned transit police unit. Charles had once been allowed to use Babylon as a place to call his fiance, Vivian, but he had lost his privileges after he told Hitchcock and Scully about it. Their shoes clicking on the tiles, they approached a wall of boxes, which hid the doorway to Babylon itself. Rosa hadn’t been here in many months, having avoided it after it was breached and after Gina had first kissed her. Gina pushed aside the wall to uncover the door, taking a keyring from her purse and inserting it into the new doorknob. There was a click, and she turned the knob to reveal a wondrous sight as she flipped the lightswitch.</p><p>“I give you Babylon, reborn and refurbished. I had to let it sit for a few months after Hitchcock and Scully invaded, but I’ve been working hard over the past few weeks to bring it back to its former glory.”</p><p>“Gina, this is incredible. You did all of this yourself?”</p><p>“Yup. As you can see, I replaced the knob so only people with keys can access it.” She took up a lighter and lit the many candles around the old restroom. It was then that Rosa noticed an inflatable mattress. “I don’t yet have the resources to get anything better down here, so I hope this will suffice.”</p><p>Rosa set her things down and laid on the cot. It felt amazing. “This is perfect.”</p><p>As her eyelids began to droop, Gina joined her and turned on a white noise machine, the sounds of a calm beach filling the small room. While Gina lay like a pharaoh in a sarcophagus, Rosa was content with her face down on the pillow. She drifted off peacefully, letting the darkness take her away as the smell of scented candles swirled around her nose.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa stood on a mountain, snow falling around her as the wind blew. The Sun was tucked behind a darkened moon. A familiar clerical figure stood on a ledge some yards ahead of her, and she slowly approached him. The clergyman was muttering something in a language Rosa couldn’t understand, his head down and his eyes closed. He fell silent as Rosa stopped next to him, crossing himself before turning to her.</p><p>“Where’s the general?”</p><p>“His assistance was no longer required, so I dismissed him.” He looked back over the ledge, dark fog obscuring the view to the base of the mountain.</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>“A friend.” There was silence, save for the whistling of the wind. “Regina loves you very much. Do you love her?”</p><p>“Of course I do. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”</p><p>The clergyman nodded. “Then why do you fear telling your parents about her?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I guess they aren’t the most… progressive people.”</p><p>“And why is that?”</p><p>“Our family is Catholic. They’ll use Leviticus 18:22 as an excuse.”</p><p>“It seems to be a verse that you are quite familiar with.” Rosa looked at her feet. “My child, they know not what they speak. Christ loves all, regardless of their sins. I ask you this: is love a sin?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Then you have done nothing wrong in loving Regina. Love is the bedrock of our faith. It is what Christ preached. Those who condemn your love, who think they are spreading the word of God, have let the Devil into their hearts, preaching hate in the place of love. It is they who are damned, not you.”</p><p>Rosa gazed into the fog, taking in what the clergyman had said. “Seriously, who are you?”</p><p>The clergyman smiled. “I am just a man who loves love.” Rosa smirked at this comment, and the clergyman chuckled. They looked up at the eclipse in silence, and a feeling of peace came over Rosa. She had all the world to gain.</p><p>---</p><p>When Rosa awoke, she found herself sprawled out on the mattress. Gina stood at the sink, washing her face. Rosa stretched and stood, walking over to hug Gina from behind. She wrapped her arms around her stomach.</p><p>“Hey, sleepyhead.”</p><p>“Hey.” Rosa rested her head on Gina’s shoulder, kissing her cheek. They looked into the mirror, taking in the reflection that looked back at them. “I love you.”</p><p>“You’re such a softie.” Gina spun around, their noses brushing against each other, and hung her arms over Rosa’s shoulders. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this leather jacket was just for show.”</p><p>“You bring out the best in me.” They kissed gently. Rosa could still taste the wine on Gina’s breath.</p><p>“Did you know that you talk in your sleep?”</p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p>Gina looked somewhat worried, almost pitiful. “You said something about Leviticus.”</p><p>“Oh. That.”</p><p>“Is everything okay, Rosa?”</p><p>“Yeah, I just worry about coming out to my parents. We aren’t that close, but I’m still nervous about telling them.”</p><p>“You have every right to be. It’s completely natural. I come from a Catholic family, too, so I know how conservative people can be when it comes to the Church. Just know that, if they don’t take it well, all you’ll be losing is a couple of homophobes who don’t love you enough to accept you for the woman you are. And there’s nothing they can do to stop us from loving each other.”</p><p>“Wow.” Rosa was taken aback by the beauty of Gina’s words. “Thanks.”</p><p>“No problem, honey.” Gina tucked her head under Rosa’s chin, and they savored the loving embrace. “We need to come up with nicknames to call each other.”</p><p>“We have ‘Rose’ and ‘Gene.’”</p><p>“Yeah, but we need something serious for our serious relationship.”</p><p>Rosa stroked Gina’s hair as she thought. “I could call you ‘Genepool.’</p><p>“And I could call you ‘Rosebud.’ You’re weird and I’m romantic; I feel like those nicknames work well to represent that.”</p><p>“They really do.” They both sighed.</p><p>“These have been a nice few hours, but I suppose we should probably get back to work.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right.”</p><p>Blowing out the candles and collecting their things, they left Babylon and locked the “gate” (as Gina called the door) behind them. Rosa was given her key, a silver piece of metal with a “B” on its head. It was a fine addition to her collection, joining her bike and apartment keys on her keyring. It was nice to know that she had a secret place to go when she needed some quiet time at work, be it alone or with Gina. Babylon was back, and it was stronger than ever.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Gina Linetti's Surprise Birthday Bash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Gina's birthday, and Rosa is forced to put up with her girlfriend's typical theatrics, but ends up doing a good deal of soul-searching after being faced by Darlene Linetti.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fingers fluttering, Rosa scanned the refrigerator for the leftover Linetti spaghetti she had left in it the previous morning. It had to be in there somewhere, probably buried beneath the mountain of food that the Sarge had been hoarding; he was a big dude, and big dudes need a crapton of food to sustain themselves. Finally, she found the container under a bag of peas, which was applied regularly to Hitchcock’s forehead due to the fact that he was constantly banging his head on his desk in one way or another. Removing her pasta, she cracked open the cover and moved it to the microwave, punching in forty-five seconds. As the machine hummed quietly and the spaghetti rotated slowly, Holt walked into the kitchen.</p><p>“Hello, Detective Diaz.”</p><p>“Hey, Captain.”</p><p>“I just wanted to thank you for coming over last night. Kevin and I had a splendid time, and Cheddar was elated to see you again.”</p><p>Last night, Rosa and Gina had finally had dinner with Holt and his husband, Kevin. Rosa thought things had gone pretty well, even if Gina had naturally done most of the talking, and was sure that she had scored some good points with Holt.</p><p>“I’m glad. Dinner was dope.”</p><p>“Yes, it was quite ‘dope.’ The interactions between Kevin and Gina were particularly interesting.” He looked around. “Speaking of, where is Gina?”</p><p>“She insisted on walking to work today.” It was Gina’s birthday, and Rosa knew she wanted to make a big entrance, but had no idea how she would do it this year as Gina had kept her in the dark.</p><p>“In this weather?”</p><p>“I guess so.”</p><p>“She’ll catch a cold, if not worse.”</p><p>“Hey, I told her the exact same thing, but she does whatever she wants.” Suddenly, the lights went out. “And here we go.”</p><p>The Christmas lights which hund around the precinct, darkened just seconds before, were now lit up in a fabulous display. Smoke billowed from an unknown source, and music pumped from speakers hidden in the ceiling. Rosa heard a ding as the elevator door, obscured by the smoke, opened up, Gina bursting onto the scene in a glittery dress. Light from the decorations bounced off the reflective beads, giving the whole thing a flashy appearance. This was typically Gina Linetti stuff.</p><p>“Come one, come all, to Gina Linetti’s Surprise Birthday Bash!” As the room returned to normal through the power of unseen forces, Gina handed out fliers to the Squad.</p><p>“How is it a surprise if you already know about it?” Terry asked. He made a good point.</p><p>“Yeah, Gene. I didn’t even know you were doing this.”</p><p>“I took the liberty of planning my own surprise party because it is the only way that I can be sure that I will not be disappointed on my big day.”</p><p>Rosa crossed her arms. “I love you, Gina, but you can be a real narcissistic bitch sometimes.”</p><p>This was met with a giggle. “Thank you.”</p><p>Terry shook his head. “You don’t take a hit, do you?”</p><p>Handing a flyer to Holt, Gina tilted her head. “Good morning, Captain. I had a very lovely time last night.”</p><p>“Thank you, Gina. The feeling is mutual.” He accepted the paper.</p><p>“Feel free to bring Kevin along. I want my mom to meet more gay people.”</p><p>“Wait,” Rosa said. “Your mom is coming to the party?”</p><p>“Um, yeah. She’s my mother. Do you have a problem with that?”</p><p>It wasn’t that Rosa had anything wrong with seeing Darlene, but rather that they would be breaking the news sooner than she had expected. “No, of course not. I guess I’ll have a practice run for coming out to my parents.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so.”</p><p>“You think she’ll take it well?”</p><p>“She’s always been very supportive, and she’s pretty progressive. I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”</p><p>“Thank God for that.”</p><p>Kissing Gina on the cheek, Rosa returned to her desk with some hot spaghetti. She stuck a fork in it and lifted up a big swirl, chowing down on the mass of pasta, rice, and cheese. She thought about her own parents and how she would come out to them. It’d been a good long while since she had last spoken to either of them, and they usually just communicated through other family members. Things had been rough since she got out of juvie all those years ago, and they had hardly spoken since then. Their relationship was strained, and Rosa started to wonder if it was even worth reconnecting just to tell them something they probably didn’t want to hear. Wallowing, she slurped down her meal until there were only a few scattered grains of rice left. She shoved the container to the side and tossed the plastic fork in the trash. Enough emotion-searching; she had work to do.</p><p>---</p><p>Modifying her plans slightly, Rosa took Gina to a nice Italian place after work, both well-aware of the surprise party that she was throwing for herself. Despite this, Gina acted oblivious the whole time, eating her risotto as if the events of that morning had never happened. Rosa was somewhat annoyed by the whole affair, but elected to keep her mouth shut. Riding back to their building, she wondered what kind of reaction Gina would use once they arrived at the party. There were three:</p><p>1. Be-wonderment, which consisted of a gentle gasp<br/>
2. Disbe-loving It, a tall grin and a polite chuckle<br/>
3. Sparkle Surprise, wide eyes and pursed lips</p><p>Gina’s favorite seemed to be Sparkle Surprise, but Be-wonderment would also suit the occasion well.</p><p>As they approached the front door, Rosa looked up and saw a window curtain - her window curtain - fall back. She held the door for the birthday girl, following like a shadow, tall and dark. Gina strode gracefully up the stairs, her feet not making a single slight sound. Finally, they reached the hallway and walked down to their door, where Gina stopped suddenly.</p><p>“Oh, boy, what a draining day at work. I just want to fuck my girlfriend and go to sleep for a while. I sure hope she didn’t plan a surprise party; she knows I hate surprises because I’m so modest.”</p><p>Turning the unlocked knob, they found the apartment was dark, entering the void. The door closed behind them, sealing them in. Then, the lights came on and everyone popped out of their hiding places, a singular “Surprise!” erupting from every corner of the room. Gina flashed a Sparkle Surprise.</p><p>Rosa morphed into a smiley gossip girl and raised the pitch of her voice. “Surprise!”</p><p>Gina gasped. “Is this why you’ve been so secretive lately?” She lightly punched her shoulder. “You sly devil.”</p><p>From the table came Darlene Linetti, Gina’s mother, with her arms outstretched. “Happy birthday, Regina. You’re halfway to sixty-six, but you’re still just as young as you ever were.” Gina’s grin remained intact, but her eyes filled with dread and panic.</p><p>At that statement, Rosa realized something: she was thirty, and Gina was thirty-three. ‘Gina is three years older than me?’</p><p>As Gina waltzed off to speak with her guests, Darlene came up to Rosa. “Thanks for ‘buying time’ for us, Rosa.”</p><p>“Anything for a friend.”</p><p>“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever really talked before. I’m close with the Peraltas, and I follow Charles’s food blog, but you are still something of a mystery.” Darlene guided Rosa to the couch and sat her down. “Of all Regina’s friends, you are the one I know the least about.”</p><p>“I’m a very private person.”</p><p>“Not tonight, you aren’t. I want to hear the story of Rosa.”</p><p>“Alright.” Rosa collected her thoughts and took a deep breath. “I was born in Argentina and moved here when I was very young. I was raised Catholic and tried to enter multiple different fields before I joined the academy and met Jake, who introduced me to Gina. I was a beat cop for a bit-”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“And eventually got promoted to the role of detective. That’s it.”</p><p>“Really?” She seemed skeptical, and rightfully so. “Rosa, every woman has a unique and complex story. You…” She pointed a finger at Rosa’s nose. “Are just being modest, young lady, and I am determined to crack this cold shell to free the goddess underneath.”</p><p>Now, Rosa could see why Gina acted the way she did. She buckled in for a long night of pestering from Darlene, knowing that she would have to put up with it, at least until Gina finally decided it was time.</p><p>---</p><p>There was a noticeable lack of numbers at the party, and everyone knew why; if reminded that she was over thirty, Gina would spiral into a mid-life crisis, even if she wasn’t even in the middle of her life yet. Rosa had already seen this happen when Darlene spoke that number aloud, but was relieved to see that Gina had managed to suppress her despair with cheese and crackers. Rosa was trying to keep herself occupied by talking to the others, avoiding Darlene at all costs. But, eventually, she ran out of people to talk to, and Darlene caught her alone.</p><p>“So, Rosa, now that you’re free, I was hoping that we might be able to talk some more.”</p><p>“Actually, I was just about to check up on the present I got for Gina.” Rosa pointed to the bedroom door.</p><p>“Why would your present be in Regina’s bedroom?”</p><p>Jaw hanging, Rosa fumbled for an excuse. “Because… I… had Jake put it on her bedside table while we were out.”</p><p>Darlene nodded slowly. “Okay. I see.”</p><p>Nodding, Rosa glanced over at Gina, who was pouring herself a fresh glass of wine. “Excuse me.” Brushing past Darlene, she walked speedily over to the beverage table and hissed. “Gina!”</p><p>“What is it?” She took a big sip of wine.</p><p>“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. Your mother is trying to force me to tell her my life story.”</p><p>“Alright, alright. I’m kinda drunk anyway, so let’s just get this over with.” Grabbing Rosa by the sleeve, she dragged her to the bedroom door, where Darlene was still waiting. “Mom, could you join us for a sec?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>The three women walked into the cozy room, Gina closing the door behind them to keep away the outside world. Rosa’s heart pounded in her chest. Gina took a deep breath and sat next to Darlene on the bed.</p><p>“You are the best mother anyone could ever have. You raised me all by yourself and you have always supported me, no matter what it was I was doing or how stupid of an idea it was. I owe you everything and more, which is why I feel confident enough to tell you this.” She looked up at Rosa, who nodded, her heart practically thumping out of her chest.</p><p>Darlene placed a hand on her daughter’s back. “Go ahead.”</p><p>“Mom… I’m gay.”</p><p>There was silence as Darlene seemed to take in Gina’s words. “How long have you known?”</p><p>“A really long time. I’ve been trying to hide it with lies ever since I was in middle school.”</p><p>“What kind of lies?”</p><p>“Well…” Gina reached into her mouth and pulled out a set of fake teeth, then promptly placed them back in. Rosa’s heart went from a rapid beating to a sudden standstill; not even she had known about this. “I lost those teeth from a normal bowling accident, not a game of Seven Minutes In Heaven. And all those fiances I’ve had over the years were just actors I hired. My entire life has been a lie, my personality a mere facade.”</p><p>“It’s okay, Regina. What’s important is that you went at your own pace.”</p><p>Gina smiled. “Thanks, Mom.” They hugged, and Rosa felt a hockey puck in her throat, which was something that hardly ever happened. Hell, the last time she’d cried was Thanksgiving, and that was just a few little tears.</p><p>“So, do you have a special someone, or…”</p><p>“Actually, that’s another thing I wanted to tell you about.” She stood, wrapping herself around Rosa’s arm. “Rosa and I are together.”</p><p>Darlene gasped, and Rosa instantly recognized the Be-wonderment on her face. “Well, isn’t that just fabulous? Oh, I see it now: you two are so in love!”</p><p>“We really are.” Gina held Rosa’s hand and caressed her cheek as they touched foreheads. Rosa placed a hand on Gina’s cheek, kissing her.</p><p>Cupping her hands over her mouth and rising, Darlene sniffled. “You kids…” She threw her hands around them both and, while Gina returned the hug, Rosa could only summon enough emotion to pat her on the back.</p><p>There came a knock at the door, and Terry popped his head in. “Time for cake and presents!”</p><p>With an excited eek, Gina jogged back to the living room, leaving Rosa alone with Darlene.</p><p>“How long have you and Regina been together?”</p><p>“Our first date was on Thanksgiving, but our first kiss happened on the night Jake went undercover with the mob.”</p><p>“Oh, yes, she told me about that. I’m glad Jacob came back in one piece.” She thought for a moment. “Why did it take you so long to get together?”</p><p>“Gina was drunk when she kissed me, and I was confused, so I never had enough courage to talk to her about it. When they found that package in the precinct and we all thought we were gonna die, Gina said that she remembered kissing me and that she had done it intentionally. One thing led to another, and I woke up with her in my arms the next morning.”</p><p>Darlene shook her head. “You are a reclusive woman, Rosa Diaz, but I can spot a romantic from a mile away.” She definitely struck Rosa as the type who read erotic paperback romance novellas, and she had to have read 50 Shades of Grey several times.</p><p>Rosa smirked, and they went to join the others for the best parts of any party: cake and presents, like the Sarge had said.</p><p>---</p><p>Their stomachs full of chocolate cake, Rosa and Gina flopped onto the bed, exhausted. They’d spent a good amount of time cleaning up, and they’d both worked extra hard to sanitize every surface that Scully and Hitchcock might have so slightly as breathed on. Hosting a Linetti party was no easy task, and Rosa had learned that the hard way. As a birthday gift for herself, Gina had bought two slip dresses, a white one for her and a black one for Rosa, which they now both wore. Rosa was surprised by how comfortable the silken fabric was. Naturally, Gina ruined the peaceful moment with complaints, this time about herself.</p><p>“So this is what it feels like to be a senior citizen: tired by the things you used to love doing.”</p><p>“You’re not that old, Gina. You aren’t even middle-aged yet. You’ve got decades of time left.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right. I’m as old as Beyonce, and she’s still pretty as fuck.”</p><p>“So are you.”</p><p>“Thanks, boo.” Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder. “Huh.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I just realized that I don’t actually know how old you are. You’re so secretive, I don’t even think Jake knows.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so.”</p><p>“Well, how old are you?”</p><p>“I’m thirty.”</p><p>“What?!” Gina shot up, staring Rosa in the eyes. “You’re three years younger than me?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Scoffing, Gina pulled Rosa close. “That changes our whole dynamic. This entire time, we’ve been acting like we’re pretty much the same age, and we used your height to assume that you would be the more dominant one. But, now that we know I’m older than you in terms of years, I’m the cougar and you’re the sexy young thing I’ve taken as my lover. I’m supposed to be the one holding you, not the other way around.”</p><p>“Okay. Whatever you say.”</p><p>This all sounded far-fetched and unnecessary, but Rosa didn’t care, so long as it meant she would finally be the one to be coddled; sometimes, it was nice to be held instead of holding. Resting her head on Gina’s chest, she wrapped her arms around her. Sinking into her lover’s body, Rosa relaxed as the world drifted away, the rhythm of Gina’s beating heart putting her swiftly to sleep.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Gina.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Rosa.”</p><p>A peaceful silence came over them as they rested their eyes and heads. It had been a big day, and now it was time to get some sleep.</p><p>---</p><p>That winter’s night, as the cold wind blew, Rosa was finding it hard to sleep. She had initially been in a dreamless void, but had been woken by something unknown. Now, there she laid, in the same position as when she had fallen asleep and thinking about nothing at all. She watched as flurries of snow blew past the window, hypnotized by their swirling pattern, waiting for sleep to return.</p><p>But it was not to be. After some time without the faintest droop of the eyelids, she gently rose and sat up, looking down at Gina, whose face was much more peaceful than Rosa was used to. The waves of her hair, darkened, sat still as her breast rose and fell with every gentle breath. Her lips weren’t stretched like they usually were, and they were actually kind of small. In that moment, Rosa realized just how pretty, how beautiful Gina really was. She brushed aside a lock of stray hair, just as she had done on that fateful night all those months ago. It boggled her that they had been together for less than a month; it felt like they’d been in love for years. Snatching her phone off of her bedside table, she snapped a quick photo of Gina and a few selfies to show her in the morning. Reviewing them, she realized that she, too, probably looked a lot more passive in her sleep.</p><p>Rosa stood and walked to the bathroom, turning on the light to get a better look at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung from her scalp in tumbling curls, dark as the rings under her eyes. Her own reflection intimidated her, and another realization came to her mind: this wasn’t her; it was someone else, a fake personality that she pushed so that she would be left alone. Back in Catholic school and at the dance academy, she had been a lively person, and it was only the negative things in her life (stress from her studies, her time in juvie, being exiled by her own parents) that had transformed her into the cold, threatening monster that stared back at her in the mirror.</p><p>Cold water poured into the basin as Rosa turned the handle. She splashed water on her face, wiping the excess off with her wet hands. She took a deep breath as she let her head hang, strands of hair sticking to her dampened skin. Gina had said that she was living a lie, forcing a fake personality on herself so that her true self, betrayed in the process, would be hidden from the outside world. Rosa suffered from that same insecurity, and she knew it; it wasn’t necessarily that they continued to force these personalities in the outside world, but rather that they were still enforced at home. The Gina Linetti laying in bed at that moment was the real Gina Linetti, not an internet personality and civilian administrator with a forced grin.</p><p>Rosa grabbed a towel, gently drying off her face and hands. As she looked back up at the mirror, she tried to soften her eyes, which her outward expression relied on for definition. She was met with a face that was not angry, but was rather sad, and she did feel sad. Flipping off the light, she shuffled quietly back to bed and sat next to Gina, whose peaceful face brought feelings of love and happiness back into Rosa’s heart. The clock said that it was 11:39 PM. Placing her head back on Gina’s chest and wrapping her arms around her slim frame, Rosa took a deep breath. She held her lover like a little girl held a stuffed animal, pulling the blankets up for more warmth. This was what it felt like to truly be in love.</p><p>---</p><p>When she woke up that morning, Rosa climbed out of bed to make breakfast. She poured some water in the teapot and flicked on the stove, ready to prepare a meal of tea and eggs. To encourage herself to take a more upbeat tone, she put on a playlist of classic music from the 50s and 60s. She danced around the kitchen, cracking eggs and stirring honey, feeling like a regular housewife. Now that she wasn’t repressing her true emotions, she could act however she wanted, and chose to break out some old moves from the dance academy.</p><p>“It looks like someone’s in a good mood this morning.” Rosa hadn’t noticed that Gina had woken up.</p><p>“Hey, babe. I thought I’d make you some breakfast.”</p><p>Gina seemed somewhat confused, if not a little concerned. “Is everything alright, Rosa? You’re acting kind of weird.”</p><p>Rosa scooped up the eggs with a spatula and plopped them on two plates. Handing a plate of eggs and a cup of tea to Gina, she grabbed her own, and they convened at the table.</p><p>“I was doing some thinking last night about what you said to your mom, how you created a fake personality so the world didn’t know what you were really like, and I realized that I’ve been doing the same thing ever since I got out of juvie. I’ve been acting like I’m tough shit and all, but I’ve really just been repressing my emotions. I don’t mind if everyone else sees us as Rosa Diaz and Gina Linetti: Scary Cop and Egotistical Maniac, but we keep up the acts even when we’re in the confines of our own home. I feel like I don’t know the real Gina Linetti.”</p><p>“I’ve been thinking the exact same thing about you. I know you can’t be all thorns.” Gina picked at her food. “Are we moving too fast?”</p><p>Rosa shook her head. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘too fast.’ I mean, look at Charles: they may have split up in the end, but he and Vivian really did love each other, and they didn’t seem to care that they got engaged so quickly, because that was the way they rolled. Besides, you are pretty affectionate with the people you love, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”</p><p>Gina placed a hand on Rosa’s. “I do love you.” She looked over Rosa’s fingers. “Very much so, which means that I should probably start acting like my normal self at home. But we can still act like Scary Cop and Egotistical Maniac at work, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course. The others would be really freaked out if we started acting like normal people.”</p><p>They chuckled at the thought and dug into their breakfast. After finishing their hearty meal, they cleaned their dishes and returned to the bedroom to get ready for the day. After taking a shower, Rosa threw on her standard black jeans and grey t-shirt. She was brushing her hair when Gina got out of the shower, nude and dripping wet.</p><p>“You look so peaceful when you sleep, by the way. And so beautiful, too.”</p><p>“Oh, stop it.”</p><p>“No, I mean it. It was a nice change from your constant crazy grinning.” Rosa walked over to her girlfriend, opening the Photos app on her phone. “See? You look like a normal person.”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Gina massaged her cheeks. “I’m just so used to being flirtatious and self-centered all the time.”</p><p>“Then relax your face, soften your eyes. Here, watch me.” Rosa reverted to Scary Cop, took a deep breath, and did her best to relax. “Like that. Don’t I look like a normal person now?”</p><p>“Yeah, you do.” Gina considered the method for a moment. “Alright.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed. Rosa smiled as she recognized the woman from the night before.</p><p>“There she is: the real Gina Linetti.” She wrapped her arms around Gina and kissed her, feeling love in the place of arousal. It was working.</p><p>“Hello, Rosa Diaz. It’s nice to finally meet you.” They chuckled, “No offense, but it genuinely weirds me out seeing kindness in your eyes.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s not very common in yours either. I’m just glad that we aren’t hiding our true selves anymore, at least not from each other.”</p><p>And so, they carried on, pulling on sweaters and freshening up. While Scary Cop and Egotistical Maniac would continue to work with the Squad, they would now cease to be once they passed through that apartment door. For the first time in years, Rosa finally felt like she could be herself again, even if just in front of her girlfriend. But that was okay, because now she really was the woman she loved, not just a sexual partner.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa looked through her Gina photos folder, smiling as she did so. While they were at work and Egotistical Maniac was let loose, it was nice to see her peaceful face once in a while. It had been a couple days since then, and she was happier than she ever had been. Sipping on her Coke, she looked up as Holt entered and quickly pulled her Scary Cop mask back on.</p><p>“Hello, Detective.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Holt walked over to the coffee maker and began brewing a fresh pot. “You have seen rather upbeat recently. I assume that everything is going well with Gina?”</p><p>“Better than ‘well.’ We haven’t even been dating for a month, and it’s already like we’re married.”</p><p>Holt nodded. “‘Already?’”</p><p>“Yeah.” In a rare show of emotion, the corner of Holt’s mouth curled upward slightly. “What?”</p><p>“The use of that word implies that you will eventually be married. Is that something you have ever thought about?”</p><p>Rosa thought back. “Once or twice, I guess.” She looked through the blinds; Gina was handing over some paperwork to Amy. She fidgeted with her soda can. If they were already living together, then why not just seal the deal and get married? She could ask Darlene about her engagement ring at Christmas brunch. “But I never seriously considered it until now.” It was decided. “I think I’m gonna do it.”</p><p>“Really? You will?”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “Yes. I will. I’m going to ask Gina to marry me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Feliz Navidad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Christmas Eve has finally arrived, and Rosa is preparing for her proposal to Gina; of course, things wouldn't be complete without a few last-minute surprises.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Christmas Eve, and all was well at the 99th Precinct; holiday decorations were up, the cityscape was covered in white snow, and the heaters were working like a charm. Due to the efforts of Rosa’s task force, the Giggle Pig industry was at an all-time low, which relieved a lot of stress. As the temperature continued to drop, so did the crime rate, and everyone had a lot less work on their hands.</p><p>Rosa was sipping coffee in the breakroom, when Charles waltzed in. He had come from a group huddle by Jake’s desk, and their occasional glances through the blinds had made her suspicious.</p><p>“Good morning, Rosa.”</p><p>“Hey, Charles.”</p><p>“You know, I’ve always had this one question, but I never got around to asking it.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>He pointed to her scar. “How did you get that slash through your eyebrow?”</p><p>She looked through the blinds to the huddle, and their heads quickly turned the other way. Even Gina was with them. “I got it from a fight with some dealers when I was a beat cop.”</p><p>Charles sighed, apparently in disappointment, and the huddled Squad erupted into a mixture of triumphant cheers and frustrated groans. “That sounds pretty cool,” he said, trying to recollect his composure.</p><p>“It hurt like Hell.” Rosa took a step towards Charles, towering over him like a dark monolith. “Do you take pleasure in my pain, you sick fuck?”</p><p>Stumbling backwards, Charles hit the door and shook his head rapidly before fleeing the room in a panic. He flapped his hands at the mass, which awkwardly squirmed as Rosa followed Charles out of the room.</p><p>“‘Sup, guys?”</p><p>This was met with a fumbled collective greeting and weak hand waves. The group dispersed, leaving Gina behind to clean up the metaphorical mess.</p><p>“Hey, babe.”</p><p>Rosa gestured with her head. “What were you guys talking about?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing, just… sports.”</p><p>“What were you really talking about?”</p><p>“Come on, Rosa, I would never lie to you.”</p><p>Rosa leaned in close. “If you don’t tell me right now, then I won’t do that thing I said I would do tonight.” She held up her balled fist.</p><p>Groaning, Gina complied. “Fine. We were betting on how you got that scar.”</p><p>“What did you think?”</p><p>“For $25, I bet Jake that you got it because it was some kind of street symbol, like if you were a gang when you were a teenager. Unfortunately, I didn’t know my own girlfriend well enough and lost $25 in the process.”</p><p>“I’ll scare Jake into giving you the money back.”</p><p>“Thanks, baby.” Gina kissed Rosa on the nose, then walked back to her desk. Rosa decided to follow her.</p><p>“You wanna know how I really got this scar?”</p><p>“Um, of course. Tell me.”</p><p>Rosa brushed aside Gina’s hair and whispered quietly in her ear. “I tripped on a Lego when I was a kid.” Gina almost laughed, but Rosa held up her fist and she quickly silenced herself.</p><p>“You really know how to use sex to manipulate me.”</p><p>“You’re not the only psychological mastermind here.” She stole a sudden kiss from Gina’s lips and sauntered away to Jake’s desk. The expression displayed on Gina’s face was one of surprise and arousal, as was the intended effect.</p><p>As she approached, Jake looked up. “Hey, Rosa.” There was a nervousness in his voice.</p><p>“I understand you took some money from Gina?”</p><p>He stammered. “Well, it was fairly-won.”</p><p>“Let me rephrase that.” She slammed a hand on the desk and got face-to-face with Jake. “I understand you stole some cash from the woman I love.” She slowly reached into her jacket for a weapon that wasn’t there. Out of fear, Jake tore a leather wallet from his pocket and, fumbling, pulled out a fistful of bills and handed them over. Rosa counted the wrinkled wad. “$43. You’re a smart man, Peralta.” Jake could only chuckle nervously, a weak grin failing to distract from the terror in his eyes. She walked back to Gina’s desk, sliding the money over to her. “For your troubles, m’lady.”</p><p>“You would make one very sexy Western outlaw.”</p><p>Grinning, Rosa spun round and walked back to her desk. She fell into her chair and propped her boots up on the desk. There she sat for a few peaceful minutes, resting her eyes as best she could under the glowing mercury. Eventually, her phone rang, so she pulled it out and looked at the name. It was her sister. She pressed the “answer” button and pressed it to her ear.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>A high-pitched shrieking responded. “Hi, Auntie Rosa!” It was her niece, Diana.</p><p>“Hey, kid. What’s up?”</p><p>“My mom was wondering if you were coming over for Christmas this year.”</p><p>“Sorry, kiddo. I’m going to my… friend’s house.”</p><p>“What friend?” Rosa could almost hear the pout on Diana’s face.</p><p>“My special friend.”</p><p>“Oooh! Do you have a boyfriend?”</p><p>“Not exactly. I’ll miss you, though. I even sent you some presents.”</p><p>The shrieking returned, forcing Rosa to pull the phone away from her ear. Charles even looked up from the form he was filling out. Once it subsided, she returned the phone to its place, and she was met with a flurry of thanks. Several minutes of incomprehensible ramblings later, Rosa’s ear was finally free. Placing her phone on the desk, she exhaled.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“My niece. She wanted to know if I was coming over for Christmas.”</p><p>“But you’re going to Darlene’s?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>He gasped. “I hear wedding bells!”</p><p>“Yeah, right.”</p><p>Rosa returned to her work, trying not to look panicked; Charles had nearly uncovered her plot. She didn’t work well under pressure, so she needed to act fast before anyone somehow managed to find out.</p><p>---</p><p>Waking from a peaceful sleep, Rosa realized that it was Christmas morning. Gina rested her head on her bosom, moaning as she stirred.</p><p>“You are truly something else, Rosebud.”</p><p>“Anything to please you, Genepool. I guess I can rightfully say that I’ve been inside you now.”</p><p>“Fuck yeah, you have.”</p><p>Rosa rubbed Gina’s back. “And you tasted so… succulent, for lack of a better word.”</p><p>“I can think of several better words.” Gina nuzzled her head deeper into Rosa’s chest, and Rosa reveled in the warmth of her skin. Suddenly, Gina shot up. “Oh, shit.”</p><p>“What is it, babe?”</p><p>“It’s 9:00. I told my mom we’d be there for 9:30.” She scrambled to the floor. Sighing, Rosa followed suit.</p><p>She donned her jeans and turtleneck, while Gina put on a Christmas sweater she had received from Darlene in years past; Rosa was sure that she would be getting one after brunch. They hurriedly brushed their hair and teeth, and applied deodorant and lip balm. Pulling on her jacket, Rosa tossed a bag to Gina to carry the presents they were to give and receive. Gina had bought some healing crystals, because mysticism was the kind of wacky shit Darlene believed in, and Rosa had bought a book on spiritualism. As for Gina, Rosa was hoping that a marriage proposal would be her gift, but she had bought some lingerie and makeup in case she couldn’t get a hold of Darlene’s engagement ring. If she could, then she would send Gina to the store after they got home so she could set up a display of candles, proposing as Gina walked into the bedroom. That was the plan, at least.</p><p>Riding through the streets on her motorcycle, Rosa took in the movement as Gina pressed up against her, as there was usually a backpack between them. Few other feelings could match Gina’s tight embrace. The ride was cold, but Rosa loved it and almost wished they could ride forever. Those hopes were dashed as they pulled into a residential area, leaving the skyscrapers behind in favor of quiet suburban streets. The motor puttered as Rosa slowed her speed, and Gina guided her through the winding maze. Before long, they pulled up in front of a purple house, plastic ornaments adorning the lawn and porch. A metal wind chime swayed with the slight breeze, which swirled around them with a chill. They walked up to the door, arm-in-arm, and Rosa gave a hearty knock.</p><p>Darlene answered posthaste, her devilish grin all too familiar. “Well, hello, you two! Come in, come in! Get out of this cold.” She ushered them inside, hugging Gina as Rosa placed her helmet on a cabinet. “Oh, no, Rosa. Don’t think you can get away from Darlene Linetti. Come here!” Smirking, Rosa conceded and hugged her potential mother-in-law.</p><p>“Thanks for having me over, Darlene. It’s a pleasure.”</p><p>“Oh, well, it was all Regina’s idea.”</p><p>“I just wanted to spend Christmas with the people that I love.” Gina placed a hand on Darlene’s shoulder. “I love you.” She took Rosa’s hand and kissed it. “And I love you.”</p><p>“Oh, isn’t that sweet?” Darlene clapped. “Now, come along. I made hot cocoa!”</p><p>Giddy as a schoolgirl, Gina pulled Rosa into the living room and onto the couch. Darlene returned with steaming mugs, which brought a much-appreciated warmth to Rosa’s hands. She took a sip, tasting rich chocolate on her tongue.</p><p>“This is something else, Darlene. It’s so…” Gina’s nails dug into her hand, forcing Rosa to choose her words carefully. “Sweet.” The nails loosened.</p><p>“I’m glad you think so. The secret ingredient is… well, it wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, would it?”</p><p>“I guess not.”</p><p>---</p><p>As the cold drops dripped down her nose and chin, Rosa took a few deep breaths. Now was the time to act; Gina was going to freshen up after her, leaving Darlene alone for at least a minute or two. It was now or never. She needed that ring, because she would have to spend thousands of dollars on some big rock with no emotional value. Grabbing a towel, she dried off her face and looked into the mirror. After another deep breath, she forced herself into the hallway and walked back to the dining room, where brunch was being assembled.</p><p>“The bathroom’s all yours, babe.”</p><p>Gina grinned. “Thank you.”</p><p>Rosa affectionately booped her on the nose as she passed. She watched to make sure that the bathroom door had closed before she struck up the important conversation. Darlene walked in with a pan of French toast.</p><p>“Where’s Regina?”</p><p>“She went to go freshen up.”</p><p>“Ah.” Darlene went about her business, placing down the toast and pouring orange juice for three.</p><p>With yet another deep breath, Rosa started. “Look, Darlene, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”</p><p>“And what’s that?”</p><p>“I know tomorrow is only our one-month anniversary, but I also know that I love Gina more than life itself. A day without her is a day I don’t want to live. I want to wake up every morning with her in my arms. I want every kiss to come from her lips. I even want to have kids, which is something I never wanted a month ago, if it means I can have a family with her. She is more important to me than the task force that governs my career, and I am willing to sacrifice anything and everything for her. I’m going to ask her to marry me, and I was wondering if I could use your engagement ring.”</p><p>Eyes watering, Darlene cupped her hands over her mouth for a silent second before walking around the table and hugging her. “Oh, sweetie. That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.” Rosa, having unlocked something deep within her own soul, hugged Darlene back. “I gave my ring to a family member, because I didn’t want a reminder of my divorce; it was so painful, and Regina can only remember the worst parts. But, if I still had it, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to pass it on to you. I see the way Regina looks at you. I feel like she’s always been a younger version of myself, energetic and social, but she looks like a completely different person when she’s with you. She looks calm and collected and peaceful; you bring out the best in her.”</p><p>“She does the same for me.”</p><p>“Then go for it. You don’t need a ring or a blessing, just your unfiltered and unrelenting heart. Love has no boundaries.” Darlene patted Rosa on the shoulder as the creaking of the bathroom door came from down the hall. They wiped their eyes quickly, and were recomposed by the time Gina got back. She tilted her head when she entered.</p><p>“It’s nice to see that my mother and my girlfriend are bonding.” They smiled at her and sat at the table for a home-cooked meal.</p><p>A strange feeling came over Rosa as she suddenly thought of the clergyman from her dreams. “Could I say grace?”</p><p>Gina looked surprised. “I didn’t know you still practiced.”</p><p>“I don’t.” Gina’s expression shifted to one of suspicion, but she shrugged and the three of them joined hands. Rosa probably hadn’t been to church since her time in Catholic school, so she did just what Darlene had told her to: she let her heart speak. “Thank you, Lord, for this bountiful meal and for the blessings which have been bestowed upon us. I should personally thank you for the recent successes of my task force, for the blossoming love I have founded with Regina Linetti, and for the immediate acceptance of her mother, Darlene. I meet these blessings with the greatest appreciation, and pray that our lives remain so blessed. Amen.”</p><p>“Amen.”</p><p>“Amen.”</p><p>Though Darlene’s hand slipped away, Rosa held onto Gina’s for just a few more moments. Her gaze lingered as she stared into Gina’s eyes. She was going to marry her, ring or no ring.</p><p>---</p><p>Thankfully, Darlene adored the gifts she was given, and exchanged them for ones that were easily much more personal. Just as Rosa had expected, she was given a hand-knitted Christmas sweater, complete with a solitary snowman and the words “Feliz Navidad!” She gladly removed her turtleneck and replaced it with this new one, which she planned to cherish for many years to come. Gina received a beautiful necklace, made of silver and seaglass, which she quickly hung around her neck. Rosa thought she looked very pretty with it on. She had her own necklace, which he had got from the first house she broke into during the crime spree that landed her in juvie, wearing it as a reminder of how far she’d come since then, and all while her parents hadn’t lifted a finger to help her. But that didn’t matter, because she was about to have a new family, or that was at least what she hoped. They spent the rest of the day talking and laughing and watching Christmas specials, snacking on cookies and sweets and cocoa. Darlene had her chair, and Rosa and Gina had their couch, curling up as the fire warmed the room. Rosa hadn’t felt this sense of family for years, maybe not even ever.</p><p>After an early dinner, it was time to go back home. Given that it was the winter season, the Sun would be setting around 4:15 PM, and Gina seemed adamant that they had to be home before then. So, with heartfelt goodbyes, they packed their things and walked to the door. Darlene winked to Rosa as they left, to which Rosa responded with a respectful nod. Hopping on the leather seat, Rosa revved the engine and pulled away. She had been unsuccessful in obtaining a ring, but Darlene had taught her a valuable lesson about love.</p><p>The sky continued to brighten as they rode. Rosa thought it was ironic that the transition from light to dark was so brilliantly colorful, but the sunset was her favorite time of day; for those few minutes, the rest of the world could slip away, pouring her attention fully into that most beautiful display. She was surprised to find that her new Christmas sweater was much warmer than her turtleneck, keeping her toasty warm as she cut through the frosty air. Gina rubbed her chest in a much-appreciated attempt to keep her girlfriend warm. Rosa swore that their hearts had grown three times their original size in that last week, and three times closer. She used to see Gina in a largely sexual light, but now she felt true love every time she so much as heard her voice. Rosa wished that she would never let go.</p><p>Hand-in-hand, they walked into the still lobby of their building, heading straight for the elevator. When they got inside, Rosa went to push the button to their floor, but Gina beat her to it and hit the button to the top floor.</p><p>“Why are we going to the top floor?”</p><p>“I just felt like watching the sunset with you.”</p><p>That didn’t sound like a bad idea. “Cool.”</p><p>With a ding, the elevator doors opened. They walked to the staircase, at the top of which was the door to the roof. Unfortunately, Gina had forgotten to account for the fact that it may have been locked. She tried the handle normally a few times before she started pulling on it wildly. Grunting, she finally let go. Rosa looked at the door for a moment. An idea was formulating in her head.</p><p>“Do you have a hair pin?”</p><p>“For emergencies, yes.” Gina dropped the bag and dug around in one of the pockets. She produced two pins, and Rosa got to work. “Of course you know how to pick a lock.”</p><p>“I broke into houses while I was a student at the American Ballet Academy. I’m not proud of it, but it taught me some good skills.”</p><p>“How come you never told me that you dance, too?”</p><p>“I haven’t done it in years.”</p><p>“Come on. I saw the way you were dancing the other day in the kitchen. Do you have any other special skills I should know about?”</p><p>“I did gymnastics for a while.”</p><p>“That explains why you’re so flexible.” Gina playfully toed Rosa’s ass with her boot.</p><p>“I’ve also studied business and medicine, and I have a pilot’s license.” Something inside the lock clicked. Rosa turned the handle, and cold air rushed in. “Voila.”</p><p>Gina clapped. They walked out onto the roof and were met with an astounding sunset, horizon orange and clouds pink. Wrapping herself around Rosa’s arm for warmth, Gina sighed.</p><p>“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Yeah, it is.”</p><p>The wind whistled and the streets beeped, but everything was tranquil as could be. As cliche as it sounded, Rosa thought it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Gina slid one hand down to hold Rosa’s, rubbing her shoulder with the other.</p><p>“You know, I was in a dark place when I kissed you; I was lonely, depressed, in a dead-end job, and alienated from the few friends I had outside of work. I needed someone to help me feel something, and I can’t believe it nearly ended with me getting drunk and going home with Charles. But then, you swooped in, carrying me like a princess in shining armor, and I took a shot in the dark. I just about cried myself to sleep that night, because I felt something in that kiss, and I thought I’d just fucked up my last chance to feel. With Jake on a dangerous undercover mission, I thought I was going to lose the only person I had left in my life. There were times I thought about grabbing a gun from a holster and…” Gina trailed off, her voice caught in her throat. Rosa’s heart sank, and she squeezed her hand like she was never going to let go. “When the anthrax scare happened on Thanksgiving, I thought I was gonna finally bite it, and that scared me for some reason. But then, you swooped in to save me from Charles, yet again, and the way you held and kissed me… oh, it was magical! In that moment, I finally realized that the thing I had felt in that kiss was love; a love that had been there the whole time, but I had been too blind to see. I love you, Rosa. I always have.”</p><p>There was silence for a few seconds as the last sliver of the Sun slipped below the horizon, and they were left with a purple sky. Rosa looked down at Gina. The first syllable hadn’t left her tongue when she saw the ring. Everything seemed to freeze. She looked at it, then at Gina’s watery eyes.</p><p>“Will you marry me, Rosalita?”</p><p>Another silent pause. “Gina…” The way she held the ring with her mitten was adorable to Rosa, and a grin broke across her face as her eyes filled with tears. “Yes.” Gina’s grin returned, overjoyed rather than cheeky. “Yes!”</p><p>Gina pulled off her glove and slipped the freezing ring onto Rosa’s finger. She hoped it would freeze there. With the tightest embrace they had ever shared, Rosa and Gina kissed, cheeks wet with warm tears. Laughing, they bumped foreheads and gazed into each other’s eyes.</p><p>“Welcome to the rest of your life, Rosa Linetti.”</p><p>---</p><p>Ambient lo-fi played from a speaker on the sink and candles lit the dim room. Rosa sat in a soapy bath, Gina laying cozily in her arms; she couldn’t stop looking at the ring on her finger. She gently rubbed Gina’s abs, the hardness of which still surprised her.</p><p>“Someday, when we have babies and I’m pregnant, we should do this. You can gently pour water onto my baby bump from your cupped hand, caressing me in a way that’s sensual, yet not sexual.”</p><p>“You want kids?”</p><p>Gina looked up. “Yeah. Don’t you?”</p><p>Rosa had never really thought about having kids until today. “Yeah, but I think I’d be set with just one. How do you think we’d do it?”</p><p>“I figure that I could get artificially inseminated with your DNA, so that our baby is ours and only ours. The only sex that can come from those kinds of conception is female, so there is a 100% chance that we’d have a daughter.”</p><p>“And why do you get to be the pregnant one?”</p><p>“I have a better physique. You have a ballerina body, after all. Besides, it’d be better for the 99 to lose a civilian administrator than a detective.”</p><p>“Hm.”</p><p>“Hey, I’d be taking one for the team. Don’t you know how much work it is to carry a child inside you?”</p><p>“You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this.”</p><p>“That’s because I’m just so madly in love with you, Rosebud.” She kissed Rosa’s cheek. “And I wanna have a family with you, even if we only have one kid.”</p><p>Rosa lovingly tightened her arms around Gina. “Have you thought of a name?”</p><p>“What about ‘Babylon?’”</p><p>“I like the sentiment, but that is not something that a human should be called.”</p><p>“But it’s so personal!”</p><p>“Yeah, but what would her nickname be? ‘Babs?’ That’s an old lady name.”</p><p>“What about ‘Enigma?’ We could call her ‘Iggy’ for short.”</p><p>Rosa thought. She actually liked it. “‘Enigma Babylon Linetti.’”</p><p>“Now you’re gettin’ it.” Rosa rested her cheekbone on Gina’s scalp, and Gina nuzzled in. “I just wish we could make a baby on our own.”</p><p>“We can always pretend.” Sliding her hand down, Rosa slipped two fingers inside Gina.</p><p>“Oh, you naughty girl.” She kissed Rosa, who began fingering her slowly and methodically. Gina moaned quietly. “You go to the bedroom, and I’ll meet you there with some wine and glasses.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>Dripping wet and giggling, Rosa and Gina ran on their toes. Rosa lit a few candles and flung herself onto the bed, spreading her legs. Gina came in with the wine and glasses, as promised, and took a big chug straight from the bottle before sitting face-to-face with Rosa.</p><p>“What are you looking at?”</p><p>“Your body is just so perfect.” Rosa kissed her neck.</p><p>“Shut up and put a baby in me.” Interlocking her lips and legs with Rosa’s, Gina held her down and thrusted her hips.</p><p>As Gina grinded against her, Rosa let her head fall back onto the mattress, breath short in ecstasy. Gina went harder, and Rosa tensed her muscles, clenching the bedsheets. “Fuck.” Her toes curled and her abs hardened, and Gina rubbed the latter sensually. Gina pulled up Rosa’s leg, holding it as she continued to grind. Noticing that Gina was biting her own lip, Rosa knew that she was experiencing the same. Finally, she could barely hold it in any longer. “Gene, I think I’m gonna c-” With a sudden silent gasp, a sticky substance began leaking from her snatch. The same was true of Gina. “Cum.”</p><p>Sliding back, Gina licked Rosa and grinned. “Yummy.” After licking Rosa clean, she climbed up to make out with her face rather than her crotch.</p><p>Rosa sucked on her face hard. “I wanna taste your pussy.” As Gina held her face between her thighs, Rosa took in Gina’s sweet scent, her tongue delivering an even sweeter taste. She was so soft and warm, and she heard Gina moan in delight as she licked her clit.</p><p>Once again, Gina slid back to kiss Rosa. “I love you.”</p><p>“You complete me.”</p><p>And so, there they lay, kissing and caressing each other without a care in the world. Rosa revelled in it, the ring still adorning her finger, still unable to fully comprehend the fact that she was getting married.</p><p>‘Holy shit. I’m getting married. To Gina Linetti. I’m gonna be “Rosa Linetti.”’</p><p>Looking into the sapphire eyes of her fiance, Rosa smiled. Nine months earlier, she wouldn’t have hesitated to rip out Gina’s tongue, and now she had felt its touch. She wondered what life would be like in another nine months; surely, things would only get better and better.</p><p>---</p><p>It was the knocking at the door which initially caused Rosa to wake. Gina laid on her chest, fast asleep and with arms tightly around Rosa. Slowly and gently, so as not to wake her, Rosa rolled Gina over to the side and got out of bed. She threw on her slip dress, rushing hurriedly to the door.</p><p>“Alright, alright,” she muttered to herself as she reached for the knob. She flung the door open. “What-” The weathered man in front of her was all too familiar, as was the woman with him. “Mom? Dad?”</p><p>Her father flashy a shiny smile. “Hello, Rosa.”</p><p>It’d been a while since Rosa had even spoken to her parents, and she could barely think of anything to say. “What… what are you doing here?”</p><p>“Well, Diana told us that you were spending Christmas with your boyfriend and his family, so we thought, ‘Hey, if she can meet his parents, then he can meet hers.’ But, I see we’ve caught you at a bad time.” He gestured at the dress.</p><p>“I just woke up, actually.” ‘Maybe I should just get this over with while they’re here.’ Rosa hesitated for a moment. “Come in.” As they entered, Rosa turned on a few lights. “How did you find me?”</p><p>It was her mother’s turn to talk. “We contacted Jacob and told him that we were interested in reconnecting with you.”</p><p>Rosa almost argued that she never told anyone where she lived, not even Jake, but then remembered that she was living in Gina’s apartment, which meant that her address was no longer a secret. “Have a seat.” She sat at the table, and her parents followed suit.</p><p>“I’ve seen in the papers that you are leading a drug task force. It makes me so proud to see that my little girl is doing so much good.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Rosa’s response was half-hearted at best. “Listen, while you’re here, I have to tell you something. I know you’re not going to like it, but just bear with me.”</p><p>“Come on, Rosalita.” Her mother placed a hand on hers. “You have pulled yourself up from the bootstraps to become one of the greatest detectives in Brooklyn. You could never disappoint us.”</p><p>“Rosa, come back to bed.”</p><p>The three Diazes turned their heads to Gina, who stood in the bedroom doorway. She looked angelic in her white dress, and Rosa felt a tad more confident. She thought back to what the clergyman had said as she stood, taking Gina by the hands and guiding her to the table. Pulling out a chair, Gina sat next to Rosa. The elder Diazes had looks of shock and confusion on their faces.</p><p>“This is Gina, Jake’s friend. She works at the 99 as a civilian administrator. Gina, these are my parents: Oscar and Julia.” Gina waved lightly, just as shocked and confused as her in-laws. Oscar was the first to speak.</p><p>“So, you… you are…”</p><p>“Gay? Yes. I am gay. I like women.” Rosa looked at Gina. “I am a woman who loves another woman.” They held hands under the table and smiled lovingly at each other. Egotistical Maniac was nowhere to be found in Gina’s eyes.</p><p>“I don’t know what to say,” Oscar confessed. Julia, on the other hand, did.</p><p>“I cannot believe this. We raised you to be a good girl. We sent you off to Catholic school so that you could get a closer connection to the church, to your religion.”</p><p>“She is my religion.” Gina’s hands tightened at Rosa's words.</p><p>Julia gasped. “Then you have learned nothing. You are still that same foolish, naive, brash child that ran off all those years ago.”</p><p>“Ran off? Ran off? You fucking kicked me out! I barely ate for a month because of you! You were disappointed when I transferred to dance school because you said that dancing was ‘not a viable career path,’ that it was for sluts and girls who wanted to show off their bodies. It was the one thing I loved to do and I tried to show you that, but you just wouldn’t listen, so I tried harder and harder and harder, but it just got to be too much. I snapped at the slightest thing; I beat up the girls I used to be friends with; I broke into houses for a reason I still can’t remember. I fucked up because you didn’t love me enough to accept the career I had chosen for myself, because you were always a controlling perra. You didn’t even care enough to visit me in juvie. You just kicked me out the first chance you got. [You never called when I was in business school, or when I was in medical school, or when I was at the academy, because I was never fucking good enough for you! The only time I was ever good enough for you was when I was in Catholic school, because you just wanted me to think like you, to see the world through your fucked-up perspective, where I can’t love someone just because they’re a woman, too. You constantly told me that Jesus loves everyone and that we should love everyone, too, but all you spew is bullshit criticism. Nothing has ever been good enough for you, and neither have I!]”</p><p>Oscar tried to calm her down. “[You are angry, Rosa, and I get that. You are confused, but that is okay, because this is just a phase.]”</p><p>Rosa was done. She lost her shit. She flipped her lid. “[And what do you know, old man? Do you know what it’s like for someone like me to try and get by in this society? I know America looks like a progressive place, but I am a gay brown immigrant woman; everyone either hates my guts or pretends to love me, just to score some social points. But I bet you think this is all a choice. Don’t you, old man? Don’t you? Well, newsflash: it’s not a fucking choice. I couldn’t give less of a shit about whatever your precious Bible says, because I will always love this woman, regardless of what some schizophrenic nutcase might have said two thousand years ago. I am going to marry her and I am going to have a family with her, and there is nothing you can do about it. So get the fuck out of my house!]” Rosa pointed a strained finger towards the door.</p><p>Oscar and Julia sat in disbelief for a moment. Oscar tried to speak. “Ro-”</p><p>“¡FUERA!” The word seemed to be trapped in the tense air, echoing eternally in their ears. Huffing, Julia rose and strode to the door, with Oscar following closely behind. Rosa stomped after them. “I never wanna see your fucking face ever again.” With that, she slammed the door, nearly shattering the frame in the process.</p><p>There were a few silent seconds as Rosa realized what had just happened. Short of breath, she struggled to get air past the hockey puck in her throat; only, it wasn’t a hockey puck, but rather a sob, and she had no choice but to let it out. She fell to her knees, her face in her hands, as tears and snot dripped down her face. It had been years since she last truly cried, and she wasn’t used to the sore feeling in her throat. She felt hands help her up, and she walked blindly to the couch, laying down with her head in Gina’s lap. Burying her face in the pristine dress, she sobbed and sobbed, all while Gina ran her fingers through her hair, singing; Rosa realized she had never heard Gina sing, and it was beautiful. She couldn’t understand it because it was in Italian, but she still tried to quiet herself so she could listen. As the lullaby and scalp massage drove her to sleep, Rosa’s sobs slowly died down to chokes, then sniffles, then silence.</p><p>“Silenzio, mio dolce angelo, mia rosa ossidiana. Dormire.”</p><p>Gina gently ran her fingers along Rosa’s face, brushing aside a few loose hairs. Reaching up limply, Rosa ran her fingers down Gina’s cheek, and she slipped quietly to sleep, to peace.</p><p>“Gracias, mi amor. Eres la luna resplandeciente.”</p><p>---</p><p>Hand-in-hand, Rosa and Gina walked proudly into the bullpen. With all her tension let out, Rosa felt loosened and light, like she could breathe clearly for the first time in years. She didn’t care about what her parents would be doing; their reunion had gone just about as well as she had expected, and she wasn’t losing anything.</p><p>Gina clapped. “Attention, everybody! I have an announcement to make!”</p><p>Charles gasped. “Are you pregnant?!” Everyone stared at him, confused.</p><p>“That’s not even possible, Charles,” Jake said. He turned to Gina. “Are you?”</p><p>She held up Rosa’s hand. “We’re getting married!”</p><p>Jake rolled his eyes and scoffed. He charged with open arms, hugging them both tightly. “I am so happy for you guys!”</p><p>Rosa smiled, but her voice remained flat. “I want you to be my maid-of-honor, Jake.”</p><p>“Really?” He tried to compose himself. “It would be an honor.”</p><p>“Thanks, man.”</p><p>“Terry loves weddings!” The Sarge towered over the rest of the precinct, but he still acted like a big teddy bear. “Does this mean you won’t be talking about my body anymore, Gina?”</p><p>“Oh, Terr-Bear.” Gina lightly punched his pec. “That was just an act. I never meant any of it.”</p><p>“Thank God. It was really uncomfortable.”</p><p>“Yeah, sorry.”</p><p>Amy, grinning, came out of the breakroom. “Congratulations, you guys! When’s the big day?”</p><p>“New Year’s Eve,” Gina blurted out. “We’ll be married a few seconds before midnight, the officiant will say ‘You may kiss the bride,’ and that’ll be our New Year’s kiss.”</p><p>Rosa looked down. “That’s in a week.”</p><p>“I don’t need a big reception, just my mom and a few good friends.”</p><p>‘Manhattan Beach Park would make a nice place,’ Rosa thought. “Anything for you, my love.” She kissed Gina’s hand.</p><p>Holt stood in the doorway of his office. “Congratulations, Rosa. I see Gina accepted your proposal.”</p><p>Gina pursed her lips. “What?”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “I asked your mom about her ring while we were at her place, but she’d already given it to you.”</p><p>“Oh, baby!” Gina kissed her.</p><p>Jake crossed his arms. “What did your parents say?”</p><p>“They didn’t take it well. I ended up ranting at them in Spanish.” Rosa didn’t want the rest of the Squad to know that she had cried. “But, I think it was for the best. I got my feelings out, and I feel like a weight got lifted off my shoulders.”</p><p>“Oh!” Charles snapped his fingers. “What about names?”</p><p>“Since she proposed, I’m taking Gina’s name. In a week, Detective Diaz will be no more.” Rosa squeezed Gina’s hand. “I’m gonna be Detective Linetti.”</p><p>“Ironic, considering I wanted to be Detective Linetti as a kid.” Gina shook her head. “I couldn’t even make it through the youth enrollment program.” She grinned. “Imagine if I had become a detective, and you were my partner.”</p><p>It was a funny thought, and it made Rosa grin. “Yeah. Imagine.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Diaz & Linetti: NYPD</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In an alternate universe, Gina was able to rise to the rank of detective, working as Rosa's partner in the NYPD and the bedroom.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gripping the perp by the back of his suit, Rosa marched proudly with Gina into the bullpen. Everyone applauded as they came in. The perp was Tito Ruiz, an infamous Giggle Pig smuggler. Intertwining their fingers, they held their clasped hands up like two victorious boxers. Rosa decided to make a quick speech.</p><p>“Tito here runs one of the biggest Giggle Pig rings in the precinct, and our raid on his facility is a big win for the task force. None of this would be possible without all of you, clerks and cops alike. So let’s get back to it. Let’s keep our borough safe!”</p><p>With another brief round of applause, Rosa handed Ruiz off to an officer. Terry came up to her and Gina, beaming from ear to ear.</p><p>“Nice work, you two! Holt is gonna love this!”</p><p>“All in a day’s work, Sarge.”</p><p>Gina rested her arm on Rosa’s shoulder. “It was so modest of you to not take credit for yourself. Make the people feel useful.”</p><p>“It’s true; we couldn’t have taken down the place all by ourselves.”</p><p>“Haven’t you seen Die Hard, Rosa? And that was just one guy.”</p><p>Jake spun round in his chair. “Did someone mention Die Hard?”</p><p>Coming from his office, Holt joined the group. “Detective Diaz, Detective Linetti. I wanted to congratulate you on this major bust. Your task force is making major strides.”</p><p>“We’ve still got a long way to go, Captain, but we’ll give it our all.”</p><p>Gina looked up at Rosa. “Again with the modesty. Quit being such a suck-up, Rosa.” Rosa walked over to her desk, and Gina followed. As she sat down, she whispered. “Meet me in the storage closet in five minutes.”</p><p>Rosa acted like she hadn’t heard her, getting on with her work. Charles had dropped off some paperwork, and she wanted to get it done as quickly as possible. The next five minutes seemed to drag on for half an hour, but the time finally came, and Gina walked off to the hallway. After a minute, Rosa stood and began to make her way to that same place, but was stopped by Charles.</p><p>“Rosa, could you sign this form?”</p><p>She groaned. “Why?”</p><p>“It’s just a simple evidence form you forgot to sign.”</p><p>Taking the pen, she quickly scribbled down the missing details. “There. Happy?”</p><p>“Yes, thank you.” Charles turned and walked back to his desk.</p><p>With a quickened pace, Rosa walked to the closet, opening the door just slightly enough so that she could squeeze through without anyone seeing inside. The room was illuminated by a single bulb, and Rosa flipped the switch to reveal a nearly-topless Gina, wearing only her denim jacket over her bare breasts.</p><p>“Hey, you.”</p><p>Rosa grinned. “Hey.” Holding her by the hips, they kissed. “When was the last time we got to do this?”</p><p>“It must’ve been a bit over a week ago, after the Hilton bust. We’ve really gotta start doing this on a regular basis. I can’t stand going a week without your affection. You know how much I love that pink pussy of yours.”</p><p>“I could say the same about your squishy tits.”</p><p>They resumed their kissing. Gina slid a hand into Rosa’s pants, stroking her cunt gently. Reaching into the jacket, Rosa fondled Gina’s breast, rubbing her hardened nipple with her thumb. As their passion intensified, so did their kissing. Rosa moaned quietly as Gina slipped her fingers inside her, pinching Gina’s nipple. Gina broke the kiss to moan aloud, and that was when they heard the doorknob turn. In a flash, Rosa spun round and Gina hid behind her, peeking over her shoulder. The towering silhouette was instantly recognizable.</p><p>“What the-” Rosa silenced the sergeant by pressing a finger against her lips. She gestured for him to close the door, and he did. Gina buttoned up her jacket. Terry continued in a hushed tone. “What the hell are you guys doing?”</p><p>“Looking for some bleach,” Rosa said.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. We were thinking about cleaning Hitchcock and Scully’s desks.”</p><p>“Oh, really? Like you would ever even breathe around there.”</p><p>“We were looking for masks, too.”</p><p>Gina nodded. “Uh-huh.”</p><p>Terry stared blankly. “Then what are those?” He pointed at Gina’s discarded button-down and bra.</p><p>She groaned. “Fine. We were having sex. Or, we were going to, but then you had to barge on in. What did you even need, anyway?”</p><p>“Paper towels; I spilled some of my yogurt.”</p><p>“Hitchcock and Scully are probably already lapping that shit up.”</p><p>“Yeah, you might actually need some bleach for that.”</p><p>Terry tried to redirect the conversation to its original topic. “How long has this been going on?”</p><p>Gina shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe a few years. It’s not like it’s a common occurrence or anything; we just do it to relieve stress.”</p><p>“But why Rosa, of all people?”</p><p>“She’s my partner and my best friend, and we share most of our experiences in the field.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “I’d say that sums it up pretty well.”</p><p>Terry raised an eyebrow. “But you’re only doing it as friends? There’s no romance?”</p><p>Rosa thought about it. “I guess Gina would technically be my lover, but I feel like that requires love.” She looked down at Gina. “I love you as a friend, not as a romantic partner. And you feel the same, right?”</p><p>Gina looked at her feet. “I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t started to catch feelings.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You two clearly have some talking to do.” Terry grabbed his paper towels and bleach. “Just keep me out of it.” With that, he left, and the lovers were alone again.</p><p>Rosa looked at Gina for a moment. “When did you first feel something for me?”</p><p>“Probably a good few months ago, maybe about eight or nine. I told myself it was nothing, but it just kept growing and growing. You are my one and only lover, Rosa. You were my first, and I want you to be my last.” She took Rosa’s hands in her own, looking up at her with eyes that were full of emotion.</p><p>Rosa stood in silence. “I have some thinking to do.” She walked to the door and turned the knob.</p><p>“Rosa.” She turned back to Gina. “I love you.”</p><p>She smiled softly as a million thoughts rushed around inside her head. Aside from a secret girlfriend at the dance academy, Gina had been Rosa’s only lover. They had known each other for years and were closer with each other than they were with anyone else they knew. They’d already been sleeping together for a while by now, and there wasn’t anything to lose. Rosa decided to take a leap of faith. She locked the door and rushed back to Gina, embracing and kissing her tightly.</p><p>“Let’s give it a shot, Gina. We can be together, and I don’t care who knows.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah. You’re funny, smart, caring, pretty, and we’ve been through so much together. I feel like you’re the only person who really knows me; you’re perfect."</p><p>They kissed, isolated from the rest of the precinct, making love in peace and secrecy.</p><p>---</p><p>Her legs still weak, Rosa rolled around in her chair rather than walking. She had a lot of perps to book, just as she had expected; it was great making a big bust, but the cleanup took a lot more work. She just wanted to go home and relax. She was working on yet another form when Gina stood up on a chair.</p><p>“If I could have your attention, please. I have an announcement to make.” All heads turned to her. Rosa stood; she knew what was about to happen. “I would just like to tell you that I have been having sex with Rosa.” Jake spit out his coffee, Amy dropped her binder, Charles’s jaw dropped, and Holt rushed out of his office. Terry just watched on. “We’ve been casual lovers for a few years now, but I think we’re ready to take it to the next level. I will now be taking questions.”</p><p>Jake called out. “Why?”</p><p>“To relieve stress.”</p><p>Amy raised her hand. “How’s the sex?”</p><p>“Absolutely amazing. Rosa makes me orgasm every time.”</p><p>“What’s the ‘next level?’” Charles asked.</p><p>“Dating, I assume.” Gina looked at Rosa. “For example: Mario’s, after work on Thursday.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”</p><p>Holt stood in a shocked state. “Well… this is certainly an interesting development. I hope this will not affect your work.”</p><p>“I will try to keep my sexual energy reserved for when me and Rosa are off-duty, but I can’t promise anything.” She winked. “You may now return to your business.” With that, activity was restored and everyone carried on with what they were doing.</p><p>Rosa walked over as Gina hopped down. They kissed and walked, hand-in-hand, to the breakroom. Their love, though quite sexual, was love nonetheless, and Rosa wanted to nurse their campfire into a raging inferno.</p><p>---</p><p>“Yeah, that would be pretty weird. But at least only one of us is at risk. If we were both detectives, then we would both be putting our lives on the line every day.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Still, I would appreciate some action every one in a while. Not like an anthrax scare, more like a car chase.”</p><p>Rosa thought for a moment. “If you had been my partner, then maybe we would have gotten together sooner.”</p><p>“Yeah, maybe. Still, our story in this universe is already pretty romantic, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to begin planning our wedding.” Gina walked off to her desk, cracking her fingers and starting up her computer.</p><p>Rosa sat at her desk, looking over at Gina. It really was weird to imagine Gina as a detective. ‘I’m just glad she’s safe at her desk job. I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to her.’ Fiddling with her engagement ring, which she was still getting used to, Rosa turned on her own computer and got to work. She may have been getting married soon, but she still had perps to book and cases to solve.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Diaz-Linetti Wedding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With New Year's Eve upon them, the Squad prepares for Rosa and Gina's wedding with zeal, and, for the first time in forever, Rosa feels that all is right in the world.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a crazy week, but Rosa was happy that it had been; while she was busy with the task force, Gina rushed around, making preparations for their wedding. She had tasked everyone with a different job, but still had to make a reservation at Shaw’s, choose two perfect rings, and pick out the right dress. Rosa figured that she’d just wear her uniform, sans the hat and white Mickey Mouse gloves. Gina was also in the process of planning their honeymoon, but had elected to keep it secret, at least until the reservation was confirmed. There’d be no one at the wedding but the Squad and Darlene, keeping it small, just as desired.</p><p>It was finally December 31, the morning of their wedding day. Rosa sat at the table, making bracelets and necklaces for her handcrafted jewelry side-business. Now, she was making a necklace for Gina. She’d found a sun-and-moon piece and looped some string through it, and was tying the little knot when she felt fingers running through her hair. She looked up to find Gina.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Hey.” Rosa stood.</p><p>“Wanna get married today?”</p><p>“Maybe.” Rosa placed the necklace around Gina’s neck, resting her hand on her sternum.</p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>“Something I made for you. If I’m ever undercover, or if something ever happens, you’ll always have a part of me.”</p><p>Gina tilted her head. “Rosa…” She kissed her, leaning in and draping her arms over her shoulders. “I’ll leave you with that.”</p><p>“Gee, thanks.”</p><p>Gina looked down at her new accessory. “Why a sun and a moon?”</p><p>Rosa thought about the eclipse from her last dream about the clergyman, opting to go with a more symbolic explanation. “Your spirit animal is a wolf, and wolves howl at the Moon, and the flag of my country has a Sun on it.”</p><p>“So, you’re the Sun and I’m the Moon?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Nodding slowly, Gina toyed with the piece. “Cute.” She walked over to the pantry and poured herself a bowl of Lucky Charms, while Rosa organized her things. “I got a dress, by the way. And rings.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yup. I’m keeping the dress at Amy’s, so I’m going home with her after work. She’s throwing a bachelorette party with my mom and Carlene.”</p><p>“Carlene? The psychic?”</p><p>“She’s really the only friend I have outside of work.”</p><p>Rosa thought it was funny, Carlene and Darlene. “Just be at the beach for 11:50.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my love.” Gina giggled, and it made Rosa smile. “Have you finished your vows?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>In truth, Rosa had decided not to recite scripted vows; she was just going to speak from her heart, like Darlene had said. She walked over to the kitchen, stealing a horseshoe marshmallow from Gina’s cereal for good luck, and Gina playfully slapped her arm.</p><p>“Get your own damn marshmallows, bitch.”</p><p>“Make me,” Rosa said in her best sexy voice.</p><p>Gina looked her up and down, grinned, and returned to her cereal. Rosa carried on to the kitchen and got her own damn marshmallows, lucky enough to get the last milk in the carton. She sat across from her fiance, both crunching on cereal made for children. She had a good feeling about all this.</p><p>---</p><p>Standing on her desk, Gina called aloud.</p><p>“Detectives, detectives! Please gather in the briefing room immediately for an emergency meeting! Thank you.”</p><p>Hopping down, she grabbed a clipboard and shuffled away. Swinging her legs up and off her desk, Rosa’s boots hit the tile floor with a commanding clack. While the others walked to the room with a brisk pace, Holt and Terry moseyed over like senior citizens on a chilly day. Rosa waited at the doors impatiently, holding one open as she slumped over in frustration. Finally, her superiors arrived, and she followed them inside, joining Gina at the front of the room like she was her bodyguard: dark, tall, and quiet.</p><p>“Okay, so, here’s the situation: as you all know, the wedding is tonight, and I just wanna make sure that everything is a-okay.” She looked down at her clipboard. “Jake: have you completed your duties as maid-of-honor?”</p><p>“I have followed Rosa’s instructions to a tee, and I may have planned a little surprise.” It had to be a bachelorette party; Jake was horrible at keeping secrets and lying.</p><p>“Good. Amy: how are my things?”</p><p>“The dress is hanging in its bag in my closet, and I have not touched it since you last came by.”</p><p>“Really? Not even to try it on in the mirror and question what you’re doing with your life?”</p><p>Amy’s face darkened. “No.”</p><p>“Good. Charles: have you found a cake?”</p><p>“It is sitting in the freezer at Shaw’s as we speak.”</p><p>“And it’s only one layer, like I asked?”</p><p>“Yes. You made that quite clear when you pulled that gun on me.”</p><p>Jake looked horrified. “Gina! You pulled a gun on Charles?”</p><p>“Oh, it was just my .25, you big baby. Terrence: the rings are intact?”</p><p>“I had to put them in a safe, but yes.”</p><p>“Good. Captain: you’ve renewed your license?”</p><p>“I have.”</p><p>“Scully and Hitchcock: you’ll be celebrating the New Year with your families?”</p><p>Scully smiled innocently. “Yup. We’re going to IHOP.”</p><p>“The International House of Pancakes.” Hitchcock shook his head slowly, the corner of his lip raised. “The happiest place on Earth.”</p><p>Gina wrote something on her clipboard, muttering to herself. “Me and Rosa got our marriage licenses, I made the reservation…” She looked up and grinned. “Thank you for your cooperation. That will be all.”</p><p>As the rest of the Squad returned to the bullpen, Rosa looked down at her fiance. “You got the reservation?</p><p>“I sure did.”</p><p>“Now are you gonna tell me where we’re going?”</p><p>Gina ran a finger down Rosa’s sternum. “Well, I seem to recall telling Amy that antiquing in the Berkshires was a ‘lesbian vacation,’ and, seeing as I am getting married to another woman, I got us a room at the Hotel Northampton in Western Massachusetts.”</p><p>“Northampton?” The name sounded familiar to Rosa, so she whipped out her phone to look it up on Wikipedia. “‘The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 28,549. Northampton is known as an academic, artistic, musical, and countercultural hub. It features a large politically liberal community along with numerous alternative health and intellectual organizations. Based on U.S. Census demographics, election returns, and other criteria, the website Epodunk rates Northampton as the most politically liberal medium-size city (population 25,000–99,000) in the United States. The city has a high proportion of residents who identify as gay and lesbian, a high number of same-sex households, and is a popular destination for the LGBT community.” Rosa turned her attention to the infobox, reading off the nicknames. “‘The Meadow City, Hamp... Lesbianville USA?’” She nodded. “Good choice.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Rosa took on a more somber tone as she suddenly realized, out of the blue, that there would be no one to walk her down the aisle. She relayed this thought to Gina.</p><p>“Why don’t you ask Terry? He’s been like a father to all of us over the years.”</p><p>Rosa considered it. “Yeah. I’ll go ask him.”</p><p>“Okay.” Gina squeezed her hand and smiled warmly.</p><p>With Gina watching from the doorway, Rosa walked over to the Sarge’s desk. He was digging into a cup of strawberry yogurt.</p><p>“Hey, Sarge.”</p><p>“Hey, Rosa.”</p><p>“Listen, my parents aren’t coming to the wedding, because I didn’t invite them, and I was wondering if you could walk me down the aisle.”</p><p>“Of course, I can, Rosa.” He stood and wrapped his tree trunk arms around her, nearly snapping her spine in the process, but Rose was grateful. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me.”</p><p>“Thanks… Dad.”</p><p>He smirked. “Anytime.”</p><p>---</p><p>For what felt like the first time in years, Rosa had ridden home alone. It felt like she was too light, like the motorcycle was moving too fast. Riding through the streets, with no one but her own thoughts, had once been one of her favorite things to do, but now it was as if there were a dagger in her heart. It felt no better to walk into an empty apartment, still alone, without an arm or hand intertwined with hers. Now, she stood at the foot of her bed, uniform sprawled out in front of her. The navy blue suit was typically worn for official business, such as ceremonies and hearings, and was completed by a hat and gloves, but Rosa thought them unnecessary for the occasion. She removed her ring and placed it back into its box, which she stored in her bedside table. Someday, she would pass it down to her daughter, Enigma. As she withdrew her hand from the drawer, it brushed against something in the back. Pinching it between her fingers, she pulled out a pink plastic flower. Turning it over in her hand, she thought back to all that she and the flower had been through together, about how Gina thought she looked pretty with it tucked behind her ear. She placed it with her suit.</p><p>Walking over to the bathroom, Rosa decided to brush her hair as a form of stress relief. She took up the brush and raked it through her curls, staring back at her reflection. The silence was invasive and unnatural, and it ate away at her sanity like sugar in water. Her eyes, usually dark and vengeful, softened as she brushed, and she smiled as she thought about the coming night. She hadn’t felt traditionally feminine since her time at the dance academy, but was now reminded of the way many other schoolgirls would openly discuss their dream weddings, with happy families and brilliant dresses. They described in perfect detail the men they wished to marry, and the families they wished to have with them. Closing her eyes, Rosa did the same. She imagined the smiling Squad, Gina in her dress, her hair waving in the breeze. She imagined Enigma, her spitting image aside from Gina’s big nose and sapphire eyes. She felt a warm tear slowly rolling down her cheek, coming to a stop at the tip of her chin.</p><p>A knock at the door tore her from her trance. Wiping away the tear, she walked out to the living room to see who it was. She turned the knob and was pleasantly surprised to find Jake, smiling widely.</p><p>“Hey, girl! What’s up?”</p><p>“Nothing important. Why?”</p><p>“Well, me and the guys were just in the neighborhood, and we thought we’d just stop by to see if you were up for a night on the town.”</p><p>“You mean a bachelorette party?”</p><p>Jake bit his lip. “If that’s what you’d call it.”</p><p>Rosa smiled. “Come on in.” She walked back to her bedroom. “Just let me get ready. Feel free to grab something from the fridge.”</p><p>Planning on packing her uniform, Rosa grabbed a suitcase from the closet, but stopped when her hair caught on one of the wire hangers. She took it and, as if ripping off a bandaid, yanked the hair free. Looking to see what piece of clothing hung from the twisted and bent metal, she found that it was her black dress, the only one she had owned before moving in with Gina. Feeling the fabric, she looked between the dress and her uniform. This was the wedding of Rosa Diaz and Gina Linetti, not Detective Diaz and Ms. Linetti. Detective Diaz could get fired at any moment, granting her a fragile existence; but Rosa Diaz, soon to be Rosa Linetti, was the woman beneath the uniform. Dumping the uniform and suitcase back in the closet, Rosa donned the black dress and stored her accessories in one of Gina’s purses. Stepping back out into the common area, she slipped on her jacket and grabbed her helmet.</p><p>“I’ll follow you guys on my bike. Where are we going?”</p><p>Waving his finger, Jake swallowed a slice of cheese. “That’s a surprise.”</p><p>---</p><p>As they pulled into an old residential area, Rosa pondered the possibilities of what the guys had planned. The buildings here were old and dark, and only some had cars in the driveway. It looked like it had been something of a slum once, which made it a prime target for gentrification. Soon enough, the car ahead stopped in front of a building, unremarkable from the outside. She parked her bike and walked up to the guys as they walked round back to the trunk. With a click, Jake threw the door up to reveal a case of beer and a few sledgehammers. Now, Rosa was starting to get the idea. She smiled and nodded.</p><p>“I like where this is headed.” She took up a hammer, as did Jake and the Sarge.</p><p>“The owners are having the place gutted. I made some calls and was able to arrange for some demolition work to be done. Now, come on; we’ve got some shit to break.”</p><p>Charles grabbed the beer and, hammers over their shoulders like workers on a Soviet poster, they walked up the path to the dark homestead. And shit they did break. Wood splintered, tiles cracked, and windows shattered as the bride and her bridesmaids swung hammers widely, tearing apart the interior as if it were a blackened coal mine, high on joy and a bit of alcohol. As she laughed and whooped, Rosa felt all her ill feelings begin to slip away and, for the first time in forever, she didn’t feel a pinch of anger or hate. All felt right in the world.</p><p>Handing off her hammer to Holt, Rosa snatched her beer and took a swig. Jake followed.</p><p>“Thanks, man. This is the best bachelorette party I could’ve asked for.”</p><p>“The best bachelorette party for my best friend.” They clinked bottles, watching as Terry swung his hammer like a thin stick and Charles nearly buckled under the weight of his hammer. “What drives your physical attraction to Gina? I mean, I know that your personalities go together like yin and yang, but what part of her are you attracted to?”</p><p>“I don’t know. She’s just got this… energy around her. Maybe it’s her devilish eyes, or her cheeky grin, or maybe just her curvy figure.” Rosa shrugged. “I can’t say for sure. I just know that she’s beautiful and I love her.”</p><p>“Aw, that’s nice.”</p><p>“And the sex is incredible.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Whenever I hump her-”</p><p>“I get the idea.”</p><p>Rosa laughed and punched his shoulder. “I’m just messing with you, Jake.” She went to take a sip of her beer. “Not.” She grinned as Jake cringed.</p><p>---</p><p>From the curb, Rosa looked out over the sands of Manhattan Beach Park. It was here that she would often come to ponder her feelings for Gina before that fateful Thanksgiving, just over a month ago. All was as she remembered it: dark, peaceful, and breezy. The moonlight reflected off the waves, lighting the beach in a cold glow. Two folding screens had been set up at the beginning of the aisle, which was marked by tiki torches. The guys were walking to Gina’s bridesmaids, their dress shoes kicking up sand as they went, and Rosa decided that it was time to go. Leaving her helmet and purse, she tucked the flower behind her ear and walked out to her screen. She looked over to the other, behind which was Gina in her white dress. Rosa could only imagine what she looked like.</p><p>Rosa took shelter behind the screen. Protected from the breeze, everything felt still. She ran her fingers through her hand and rubbed her arms. Her ring finger was empty once again, but it wouldn’t be for much longer, and that thought made her heart flutter. She fiddled with her necklace, brushed off her dress, checked her boots. Her boots; Rosa hadn’t realized that she was still wearing them. But it was too late now. She chuckled at the realization that she would be wearing boots to her own wedding. There was a knock.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>Jake peeked his head around the screen. “We’re all set.”</p><p>Rosa’s chest swelled as she took a deep breath. “Alright.” His gaze lingered, and his face warmed with a smile. “What?”</p><p>“You’ll see.”</p><p>Jake took his leave, and Rosa was left with a pounding heart. She took a peek at the aisle, watching as Terry and Charles walked up to Holt, arm-in-arm. They moved off to the sides. Next were Jake and Amy, and Rosa realized that the two actually would make a pretty cute couple. There came a second realization: if Terry was up there, then who was going to walk her down the aisle? She started to panic. She was going to be the girl who walked down the aisle alone at her own wedding.</p><p>“Rosa?”</p><p>She turned. It was him. “Dad? What are you doing here?”</p><p>He smiled. “I came to walk my daughter down the aisle.”</p><p>The tension in her chest loosened, and she took him by the arm. Together, the father-daughter duo walked out from behind the screen and slowly strode down the aisle. She looked over at Jake and Terry, who smiled and nodded, and she nodded back. Kissing her on the cheek, Oscar glided off to the side, and Rosa took her place in front of Holt. In a rare show of emotion, his eyes glowed with a sense of compassion, and his smile seemed to say, “I’m proud of you.” Revealing a set of steel drums, Charles took up two padded sticks and began playing that fateful tune. All heads turned to the opposite end of the aisle, where Gina stood with Darlene at her side.</p><p>Gina almost seemed to glide on the soft sands, the glow of the Moon making her look entirely angelic. Her hair waved in the breeze, and the light of the torches lit up her smiling face. Just as Rosa wore her leather jacket over her dress, Gina wore her denim jacket over hers. Looking her up and down, Rosa noticed a pair of familiar sneakers, and her heart melted. Kissing Darlene on the cheek, Gina took Rosa’s hands in her own, rubbing her fingers with her thumb. Just like in the elevator after the Thanksgiving debacle, Rosa felt romantic energy crackling like lightning between them. Holt spoke.</p><p>“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union between these two women, Rosa and Gina. In the year or so that I have known them, they have become two of my closest friends and advisors, and there is not an ounce of doubt in my mind that what they share is pure love. On my first day as captain of the 99, Terry described Rosa as being ‘secret and scary,’ two words that I would soon consider to be both accurate and something of an understatement.” They all shared a laugh. “She is a harsh, commanding woman, so much so that I entrusted her with the command of an extremely important drug task force, and she has not come close to letting me down. As for Gina, well, she was the very first person to pick up on the fact that I was a gay man, when I had not made mention to it at all. She is vastly more intuitive and intelligent than I think any of us give her credit for, and she uses this knowledge to get inside our heads with lies and insults. These two conflicting personalities clashed frequently, seemingly incompatible. But then I realized that the only one who was not afraid of Rosa was Gina, and the only one who was not offended by Gina was Rosa. Despite the vengeful and careless ways they interact with the world around them, the only time I have ever seen them soften into warm, caring people is when they are with each other. I see the way they look into the other’s eyes. Every word they speak to each other is doused in love, every glance across the bullpen powered by adoration, every touch they share warmed by affection. In all my years, I have never seen such love before, and that is why it is an honor to be the one to fuse their souls together on this night.” Holt held out his hand, and Terry dropped the rings into it. “We will now begin the exchanging of the vows.” He gestured. “Rosa?”</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Rosa looked down at the woman in front of her. “Gina… where do I begin? When I first met you all those years ago, I thought you were just Jake’s goofy sister-figure, constantly blabbering about the newest trends and the latest gossip. When I joined the 99 and found out that you were the woman at the desk, just fifteen feet away from me, I was irritated beyond belief. Just one week in, I thought I was gonna blow my brains out if I had to spend another week near you. But, Jake loved you, so I knew you couldn’t be all bad. Over the years, you started to annoy me less and less, and we became friends; we weren’t close or anything, but I didn’t have a problem working with you anymore. When Charles broke up with Vivian, we argued about whether he should repress his feelings or if he should have meaningless sex to forget his ex. You had just started using emojis in your speech, too, and I remember threatening to rip your tongue out if you kept doing it. But you did keep doing it, and I didn’t rip your tongue out. I’m glad I had the sense to take you home the night after that, because walking down the sidewalk with you was the best distraction I could have gotten from Jake’s undercover assignment. Carrying you to bed, I just thought I was helping a friend, and I told you that, but you kissed me anyway, and I kissed you back. At the time, I didn’t know why I did it. I got confused and scared, and I avoided you all summer. I would ride out to this beach with a beer and question the whole thing, about the way I felt and why I did it, about the way you felt and why you did it. We could have started something a lot earlier than we did. When we almost slept together, after the Jimmy Jab Games, I bawled my eyes out in the shower because I was so confused, and I just wanted to forget the whole thing had ever happened. But watching you break down, thinking we were all gonna die that Thanksgiving, I realized that I kissed you because I love, and I always have loved you. So, I took you in my arms, never wanting to see you hurt ever again. That kiss, our second real kiss, was something magical; it cemented my love for you, and it finally made me realize that you kissed me because you felt the same thing. After that, as we drove to Crust for some late lunch, I knew that I was in love with you as we flipped off Charles together. When that old lady said we were a cute couple, I knew it was meant to be, and making love to you that night was the best feeling in the world. I moved in with you just two weeks after that, and I knew you were the woman for me when you said that I could keep all my weapons, and that you were already licensed to carry. Coming out to Darlene, with the warm reception we got, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. And the way you held the ring with your mitten was just so adorable, and I couldn’t imagine a world where I turned you down. And now, here we are, getting married less than a year after a time when I would have ripped your tongue out because of some emojis. Riding home alone earlier was the worst, because I’ve gotten so used to feeling your arms around me, and I never want to be away from you again. I love you, Gina.” Taking a ring from Holt’s palm, Rosa slid it onto Gina’s finger. It was a simple piece of metal, with two small bits of green and white seaglass embedded into it.</p><p>“Rosa, I have always felt something for you. When Jake first introduced me to you, when you were both still at the academy, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. When you joined the 99, I was excited for all the fun we were gonna have together, and we really did have a lot of fun over the years. I still kick myself for not trying something sooner. By the time Jake went undercover, I was at a low point in my life; I was at a dead-end job, I was lonely, and I was depressed. When Jake went undercover, I thought I was going to lose my best friend. So when you were kind enough to take me home, I started to feel those old feelings. And when you picked me up, carrying me in your arms, I knew I had to do something, so I grabbed you by the collar, pulled you in, and locked your lips on mine. For the first time in a long time, I could feel something. Then, you walked out, and I knew I had scared you off, that I had messed up my last chance at happiness. I cried myself to sleep after you left, and the next few months were a living hell as I tried to force myself forward. Jake’s return helped, and when we had that night together at Shaw’s, I felt like I had a second chance. When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t think the whole thing had even happened, but then I saw the compression in the mattress, and I found this little guy on the floor.” She lightly brushed the flower behind Rosa’s ear. “I spiraled into another depression, and I was kind of glad when they found that package on Thanksgiving. Then, when Charles made firm his rank as my least favorite member of the Squad, you stepped in and cast him out, taking me up in your arms without hesitation. You looked down at me with caring eyes and a gentle voice, and I just had to kiss you. You made me feel safe, like everything would be alright, and waking with my head in your lap was the biggest relief I ever felt. Riding with you, eating with you, sleeping with you; that was the best day of my life. Waking up in your arms… I knew I was in love for the first and only time in my life. I jumped at the chance to live with you in the place I grew up, where our daughter will grow up. I knew I wanted to have a family with you, and I proposed as soon as I got my hands on that ring. Oh, and how you glowed when you wore it! Sitting with you in that candlelit bath, I knew we were gonna spend the rest of our lives together. Death will not do us part, because I love you, girl! You are the only one for me, and I love you, Rosa.” Gina slipped a ring onto Rosa’s finger.</p><p>Tears in his eyes, Holt stood a little straighter. “Do you, Rosalita Diaz, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for always?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Do you, Regina Linetti, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for always?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Then, by the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you Woman and Wife. You may kiss the bride.”</p><p>As their guests clapped, Rosa and Gina leaned in, kissing each other deeply, sharing their breath as one unified soul. There was a distant boom in the direction of the sea as fireworks, likely from some yacht-based celebration, exploded over the horizon. But, Rosa didn’t care about the fireworks. She studied Gina’s face closely, stroking her cheek and smiling. She kissed her forehead, hugging her as they looked out over the ocean. Rosa Diaz was dead.</p><p>As they walked back to their vehicles, Gina broke off to talk with Darlene. Oscar came up to Rosa.</p><p>“How did you find us?”</p><p>“Jake told me that you were to be married today, and that he thought I should be there. I’m glad he did.” He placed a hand on Rosa’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve said, for the things I’ve done. I have not been the best father, but I want to try to do better. Will you forgive me?”</p><p>Rosa thought. Her father was right, he hadn’t been very good to her, but he was an honest man. There was no way to undo the things he had done, but he could certainly make up for them. “I think I can.”</p><p>Oscar smiled. “I think your mother may need more time, but I am sure that she will come around eventually.” They stopped as their feet hit the sidewalk. “So, you are taking Gina’s name?”</p><p>“Yeah. She’s the one who proposed and all, so…”</p><p>He nodded. “I’m proud of you, Rosa.”</p><p>“Thanks, Dad.”</p><p>With that, they went their separate ways. It would probably be a little bit until they saw each other again, but this wasn’t a cut they could just put a bandaid on; this was a broken arm, and Rosa was ready for the cast.</p><p>---</p><p>Raising a beer in the air, Jake Peralta spoke. “To the two brides, Gina and Rosa Linetti: may you live a long, happy life together, and may you bear us a niece!”</p><p>The rest of the group wholeheartedly agreed, clinking glasses above the table.</p><p>“I can’t wait to be Uncie Chuck!” Charles was always the most enthusiastic, but his pride had been dealt a blow by the fact that Gina simply did not like him, and Rosa couldn’t say that she didn’t feel the same way sometimes.</p><p>“My daughter will call you ‘Boyle,’ and that is final.” Gina pointed to the rest of the group. “You guys will be ‘Uncle Jake’, ‘Aunt Amy’, ‘Sarge’, and ‘Mr. Holt’.”</p><p>Jake raised a finger. “But what will she call you guys?”</p><p>“Well,” Gina placed a hand on her chest. “I’ll be ‘Mommy’ and Rosa will be ‘Mama.’”</p><p>Rosa sipped her drink. “You have a lot of this already planned out.”</p><p>“I’m thirty-three. I would like to start a family sooner than later.”</p><p>“Just don’t make me go to a bunch of ‘Mommy &amp; Me’ classes and all that bullshit.”</p><p>“You don’t need classes when you’ve got me.” Darlene took a seat at the table, martini in hand. “I raised you all by myself, Regina. I know everything there is to know about raising children.”</p><p>“Thank God for that.” Rosa and Darlene clinked glasses.</p><p>“Welcome to the family, Rosa.”</p><p>“Thanks, Darlene. You’ll make a great grandma.” She looked over at Gina. “Someday. I want some time just for us.”</p><p>“I know. We can wait at least six months.” Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder.</p><p>A silence fell over the table as they all fidgeted with their drinks.</p><p>Amy looked rather pensive. “I wonder what Hitchcock and Scully are doing right now.”</p><p>“Well,” Jake said as he placed his beer on the table. “I’m willing to bet that they went to IHOP, as they said they would, probably eating pancakes and bacon until about…” He thought for a moment. “11:00, then washed it down with slushies, which they likely mixed with soda of some kind. Right now, they’re probably snoozing on a park bench somewhere, having failed to make it to midnight, just as they do every year.” Everyone murmured in agreement.</p><p>“Who are Scully and Hitchcock?” Darlene asked, clearly intrigued.</p><p>Rosa explained. “They’re the oldest detectives at the 99. They aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed-”</p><p>“Or the healthiest,” added Terry.</p><p>Amy jumped in. “Or the most hygienic.”</p><p>“Overall, their combined performance is rather abysmal. I am still shocked that they were not fired years ago.” Holt, as always, was the most vocal in his input.</p><p>Darlene seemed somewhat surprised. “They don’t sound like very pleasant people to work with.”</p><p>Gina shrugged. “Yeah, but they mean well. At least Scully does. Hitchcock is… a bit more suspicious in his intentions.” They all nodded.</p><p>After another silent moment, Jake stood and walked over to the jukebox. He inserted a quarter, pressed a button, and stepped back. “Let’s get this party started.”</p><p>The Squad stood and walked over to the makeshift dancefloor. Rosa extended her hand to Gina. “May I have this dance?”</p><p>“I suppose.” She grinned and took Rosa’s hand.</p><p>The Squad began to sway as Grover Washington’s “Just The Two Of Us” seeped from the machine, the drums setting the beat and the bass giving a rich vibe.</p><p>“I see the crystal raindrops fall, and the beauty of it all…”</p><p>And so, they danced. They swayed and swirled, twisted and turned, jammed and jived. It was their first dance together, not merely as a married couple, and Rosa loved every second of it. While they had prior dance experience, they had not studied partner dancing, and were equally unskilled, but Rosa didn’t mind. No matter how much they stepped on the other’s toes, they kept laughing and smiling, noses brushing and foreheads pressed closely together. Just like every moment with Gina, it felt as if the rest of the world slipped away, almost like Rosa was seeing through tunnel vision. Holding Gina close, she kissed her nose and rubbed her back. They were married.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa strode proudly through the door, carrying Gina in her arms like she had all those months before. They kissed, and Rosa dropped Gina on the bed. She threw her jacket aside and pulled off her boots, by which point Gina was already laying seductively in her underwear, her legs spread.</p><p>“Kiss me, you big galoot.”</p><p>“Damn, Gina.”</p><p>Rosa dropped her dress and climbed onto the bed, leaning into Gina as they kissed. She ran a hand up her thigh, wrapping her fingers around Gina’s underwear and beginning to pull them down. As she slowly slid back, she gently kissed Gina’s body. Spreading the vulva with her fingers, Rosa licked her, taking in the taste with an aroused humming. When her tongue made contact with the clit, Gina moaned and placed a hand on the back of Rosa’s head. As she kissed and licked, Rosa rubbed Gina’s abs and inner thighs, running her nails lightly across her skin. She slid two fingers inside, moving her tongue to focus on the thighs, slowly bringing Gina closer to ejaculation. She could hear Gina’s heavy breathing, holding down Rosa’s head with one hand and fondling her own breast with the other. When Rosa’s fingers came back covered in something sticky and white, she returned her tongue to Gina’s snatch; it burrowed in, wiggling, as Rosa cleaned her out. She pulled back her lips, linked to Gina by a line of saliva. Gina wrapped her legs around Rosa, who slid up to kiss her again. As they kissed, Rosa began thrusting against Gina, holding down her wrists to assert her dominance.</p><p>Gina spoke through deep breaths. “Rosa… fuck…”</p><p>“You like that, baby?”</p><p>“Don’t stop. For the love of God-” She breathed. “Please don’t stop.”</p><p>Bending her arms, Rosa went down to lick Gina’s neck. She slid her hands from her wrists to her breasts, rubbing and pinching Gina’s hardened nipples. Kissing her, Rosa licked Gina’s cheek.</p><p>“Harder, mommy.”</p><p>“You want it harder?”</p><p>“Fuck yeah.”</p><p>Grinning, Rosa wrapped her arms around Gina, breasts squished together, and grinded as deeply as she could. Kissing and licking behind her ear, Rosa felt Gina’s nails digging into her back.</p><p>“I think I’m gonna cum.”</p><p>“Don’t.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Lifting her head to look Gina in the eyes, Rosa placed a finger over Gina’s lips and stole a kiss from them. Rosa could feel something swelling inside her abdomen, knowing that she couldn’t hold it much longer. She sat up, holding Gina by the hips as she thrusted her own. She watched as Gina gritted her teeth and clenched the bedsheets tight, her eyes watering in sexual agony. There soon came a point when she couldn’t hold it in and, with a loud cry, shot up as she came, hugging Rosa as their abs tensed and legs spasmed. Warm fluids gushed from deep inside them, wetting their laps as they held each other. Finally, the streams subsided, and they sat silently.</p><p>Feeling a kiss on her neck, Rosa looked at Gina, cheekbone resting on her shoulder. After just a few minutes, she seemed exhausted, and Rosa, though also quite exhausted, continued to hold her. Gina’s hand stroked her cheek.</p><p>“Hallelujah.” Gina kissed her, and Rosa kissed her back.</p><p>Legs intertwined and arms around each other, Rosa and Gina sat in a puddle of their ejaculate, holding their wives close with love. That moment seemed to last an eternity, and Rosa wished it would never end.</p><p>---</p><p>Rosa’s fingers blindly danced as she tried to turn the alarm clock off as it buzzed, finally hitting the right button; the electric blaring was replaced with the distant ambience of the city. The light of the dawn, peeking over the cityscape, filtered through the window, beautifully lighting Gina’s wavy auburn hair. Her head was nuzzled into Rosa’s chest, arms wrapped tightly around her. Gina stirred, and Rosa stroked her hair.</p><p>“Hey, beautiful.”</p><p>The sapphire eyes blinked. “Good morning, wifey.”</p><p>“You ready for our honeymoon?”</p><p>“Of course. Just five more minutes.”</p><p>“To be perfectly candid: I don’t ever wanna get up.”</p><p>“Then let’s not.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Gina turned over, pressing her back against Rosa’s front. Rosa cupped Gina’s hand in her own, their wedding rings clicking against each other. She placed a hand on Gina’s stomach, and Gina placed a hand over hers. Fingers interlaced, they acted as if the alarm had never rung at all. They were perfectly content and cozy under the warm blankets. Rosa, with only happiness in her heart, pulled close the figure of her wife, Gina.</p><p>They said it in unison. “I love you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Epilouge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After having a vivid nightmare, Rosa is met with a rude awakening in the early hours of the morning, but is comforted by Gina and Enigma.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa was jolted awake by Enigma’s ear-piercing cries, groaning as she stirred. She was relieved to find Gina in her arms.</p><p>“I’m coming, I’m coming.”</p><p>Gina sat up before Rosa could. “It’s okay, love. I’ll get her.”</p><p>Rosa let her head fall back down onto the pillow as Gina walked wearily over to the crib, which they had put in their bedroom for quick access. Slowly, Rosa sat up and glanced at the clock; it was a few minutes past 3:00 AM. She watched as Gina, wearing nothing but a button-down and underwear, leaned over to pick up their daughter.</p><p>“Shh, shh. It’s okay, Iggy. Mama’s here.”</p><p>The newborn quieted somewhat, and Gina sat on the edge of the bed, unbuttoning her shirt with her free hand. She sighed as Iggy suckled at her breast, Rosa crawling forward across the mattress to join them. Wrapping her arm around Gina’s waist, auburn wisps and obsidian curls collided as Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder.</p><p>“Quit looking at my nipple, you perv. I’m trying to feed our baby.”</p><p>Rosa smiled devilishly. “It’s not like I’ve never sucked your tits before.”</p><p>Gina gasped. “You keep that filthy language away from her little ears! She’s very impressionable, you know.”</p><p>“She’s two weeks old, Gene. She won’t remember any of this by sunrise.” They watched Iggy in silence for a moment. “She has your eyes. And your nose.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, she has your hair. And your frown.”</p><p>Another moment of silence. “Isn’t it a miracle? You’re feeding this little thing with your body.”</p><p>“I made her with my body, too; I had to grow her in my belly, and then I had to push her out of my vagina.”</p><p>“Don’t you mean your ‘va-GINA?’”</p><p>“Haha, very funny, Rose.” Iggy finished up, and Gina wiped any excess milk from the edges of her lips. “Could you put her to bed while I button up?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Rosa took the baby from her wife and stood, slowly swaying as she walked. “Buenas noches, bebita.” Kissing Iggy lightly on the forehead, Rosa placed her back in the crib and pulled up her tiny blanket, then gave her a little stuffed wolf. “And here’s Luna.” Her heart melted as her baby wrapped her little arm around the neck of the toy and pulled it close. She felt Gina’s hand on her bare back, rubbing the area between her sports bra and sweatpants.</p><p>“God, she’s beautiful,” Gina whispered. Rosa had thought the same thing about Gina when she was giving birth.</p><p>“She really is.”</p><p>It had been two weeks since Enigma's birth, and both of her mothers were on maternity leave; Rosa would be gone for a month and a half, and Gina got a luxurious two months off. After going baby crazy and getting inseminated on the first anniversary of their first kiss (March 25), Gina had given birth to Enigma on Christmas Day, an event that Jake and Darlene had happily been there for. Holt had not hesitated to give them time off, and Darlene promised to look after Iggy while they were at work. Still, Rosa wouldn’t be going back to the 99 for another month, which meant she was dedicating 100% of her time to her young family.</p><p>As they flopped back into bed, Rosa leaned her head against the wall, recalling what had happened just minutes ago. “I was having the strangest dream.”</p><p>“What was it about?”</p><p>“A world where I never walked you home, where I just looked the other way.”</p><p>“And what happened?”</p><p>“You and Charles had a weird fling for about a month after Jake got back, and I dated Marcus Holt. It was just so… vivid.” She thought back to the emotions she had felt towards Gina in the dream: annoyance and indifference, as if she had never loved her at all. “It’s not like it was a horrible world or anything, but it felt like a nightmare when I woke up.”</p><p>“You’re being paranoid, hun. No matter how many drinks you put in me, I would not so much as give Charles Boyle a boop on the nose, and Marcus Holt was clearly into you when we had dinner with Ray and Kevin, but was very much an awkward individual." Gina's words were reassuring. "Besides, it was just a dream. It doesn't mean jack shit."</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right.”</p><p>“Hey.” Gina traced Rosa’s jawline with her fingers, her head tilted. “I love you, Rosa.”</p><p>Rosa smiled warmly. “I love you, too, Gina.”</p><p>They kissed, and Gina made her way into Rosa’s arms, pulling up the covers to warm them. She nuzzled her head into Rosa’s neck, and Rosa held her close as they drifted off to sleep. She had had nothing but a bad dream. Her wife was right here, and their baby girl was just across the room. With nothing to worry about but the smell of Enigma's diapers, Rosa closed her eyes as she hugged Gina lovingly. Rosa, Gina, and Iggy were all soon fast asleep again; the Linetti family had a few long and busy weeks ahead of them.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>